It's A Hard Not Life
by mcobsessed
Summary: Sequel to Grey's Anatomy: Post Prom. Meredith brings up her twins, with help of her old friends and her husband. MerDer of course. R
1. Chapter 1

**Disclamer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy, or else I would be married to Derek Shepherd right now!**

**Chapter 1: Scared**

"MOMMY! JACC WON'T LET GO OF MY EGO'S! HE SAYS I HAVE TO EAT POPTARTS! BUT I HATE POP TARTS!"

Meredith Grey-Shepherd could hear her daughter yell all the way from the kitchen. It was 8 o'clock in the morning on her first day off in a while. She tried to ignore her, but she knew that wouldn't work. Reluctantly she got out of bed and threw some clothes on and walked down stairs.

"Jaccob Fredrick Shepherd, let your sister have some Ego's please! It's way too early in the morning for this," Meredith made her way to the coffee maker and poured herself a large cup and sat down at the kitchen table. Her son was sitting on the other end, pouring a massive river of syrup on one Ego Waffle

"Jaccob how many times do I have to tell you? Less is more!" Meredith sighed. Even though her children were 7, they still needed to be told at least 2 a day what to do and what not to do. Soon after, Audrey Ellis Shepherd came to join them.

"Mommy?"

"Yes Audrey?" Meredith asked as she took another drink from her coffee.

"When is daddy coming home?"

Meredith set down her coffee and looked at her daughter

"How many times must we go through this Aud? He's going to be gone for a month. He'll be home in 2 weeks. Being the top neurosurgeon in the country means he has to go on long trips…remember?"

Audrey sunk her head as she went back to her waffle. Meredith did a silent laugh. Audrey had always been a daddy's little girl since the day she came home from the hospital 7 years ago. She never wasted a single moment with him. Meredith couldn't blame her. Audrey Ellis Shepherd was the spitting image of her father. She had the brown curly hair with the matching blue eyes. She also had his famous 'McDreamy' smile. The only thing she was missing was his dimples. On the other hand, her twin brother was the spitting image of Meredith. He had short, straight, dirty blonde hair with green eyes. The only thing that was different was that he had his father's dimples. Meredith smiled as she looked at her two kids. The last month had been tough since Derek had been called to London for some work. Meredith missed him dearly. Everytime she looked at her daughter, she was reminded of him. Meredith sat there, starting at her children, as tears came to her eyes.

"Mommy?"

Meredith was snapped out of her daydream by Audrey's voice

"Y-Yes dear?"

"Why are you crying?"

Meredith quickly wiped away her tears

"Because honey, I just miss Daddy that's all. So what do you two want to do today? I got the whole day off!"

Meredith quickly changed the subject as she looked at her son. He hadn't said one word yet

"Jacc?"

Jaccob looked up at his mom

"Can we go to see Uncle Burke and Aunt Crissy?"

Meredith laughed

"Sure, I be Aunt Crissy has the day off today!"

Meredith got up from the table and went over to the sink. She dumped the rest of the coffee down the drain and tuned back to her children. She saw that they were trying to kick each other under the table. Meredith laughed

"Guys, how many times do I have to tell you? NO kicking! Now c'mon, let's get dressed and go pay Aunt Crissy a visit!"

Both kids jumped down from the table and ran out of the kitchen. She could hear them bound up the stairs and into their rooms. Meredith smiled as she picked up the dishes and set them in the sink. She leaned back and took in the house. The kitchen was huge with black and white tiles. There was a small island in the middle where they mostly ate their meals. From there, you could see the beautiful oak front doors and the spiral staircase. To the right, there was a spacious living room with plasma TV mounted on the wall. A couch and 2 chairs faced it. Meredith smiled. 7 years ago, Derek had promised her a house, and a house she got. It was her dream home. It was big enough for their twins and some guests. Meredith went over to the cordless phone and dialed Christina Yang-Burke's number

"Hello?"

"Christina?"

"Hey Mer, what's up?"

"Nothing much. The kids want to come visit. Is it okay if we pop by in about half an hour?"

"No, no problem. Burke had a surgery today, so he's not here. It's only Amelia, Christopher, and me. I'm sure they won't mind seeing their non-blood-related-cousin's,"

Meredith laughed at her best friend

"Thanks Chris, I'll see ya in about half an hour then,"

"Okay, see ya!"

Meredith hung up the phone and made her way to her bedroom. She missed, but at least her kids kept her busy.

---

"Thank you again for having us over Christina,"

Meredith had just arrived at Christina's house an hour later

"It took you long enough to get here," replied Christina with a smile on her face

"We had another fight, about who got shotgun," Meredith rolled her eyes as she stepped in with her twins

"And?"

"And no one won, of course. Both ended up sitting in the back,"

"Oh," Christina let out a chuckle, "Long morning?"

Meredith smiled "Like I said, thanks again for this,"

"No problem. Hey Audrey…Jacc!"

"HI AUNT CRISSY!"

Meredith and Christina laughed as Christina scooped them up into a big bear hug as they went into Christina's living room. A year after the marriage, Christina and Burke built a house near Meredith and Derek. It was a pretty spacious one-story house. They would have built a two-story, but there because of their daughter's condition, they couldn't.

"So Chris, where's Amelia and Chris?"

"They're getting dressed," Christina took a sip of a cup of coffee

"And you're not helping?" snapped Meredith in a whisper

"Mer, Amelia doesn't want help. Trust me I've tried,"

"AUNTY MER!"

"Amelia…Christopher! Wow, you've gotten so big!"

A small 6-year-old girl in a wheel chair came out, followed by a 7-year-old boy. Amelia had the spitting image of her father but her eyes were her mothers. Christopher on the other hand looked exactly like his mother, but with his father's eyes.. Amelia though had Christina's stubborn personality and Christopher was more like Burke.

"Hey guys, how about you show Audrey and Jacc your room huh? Didn't you get a new game yesterday?"

" 'OPERATION'! C'mon guys, I can teach you!" yelled Audrey

All 4 children left the room.

" 'Operation' huh? Some one wants their children to follow in her parents footsteps I take it?"

"Aww, c'mon Mer, It's not like you don't want Jacc and Aud too!"

"I guess you're right,"

Meredith took sip of some coffee. She tried to avoid Christina's eyes.

"Meredith Shepherd, something's wrong with you,"

"No, nothing at all,"

"Oh my god, you're kidding right? I've known you since day one! Fine, don't tell me, but you know I'll find-"

"Fine. It's Derek. Audrey has been asking about him everyday ever since he's stopped calling every night. Christina, I'm worried he found another intern. And not just an intern…an English intern. Someone who can give him what I can't. Christina, I can't raise these two kids alone. I need him!"

Meredith collapsed into tears. Christina came over and gave her a gentle hug.

"Shhhhh. I know how stress full this may be. You don't have time for the kids because of your demanding job, then your husband is gone. But Mer, you've got to trust me. Derek doesn't love anyone but you. The day he married you, he made a promise to never hurt you. You should have seen him when the babies were born. I've never see him that happy. He's probably stopped calling, because he's been so preoccupied in London. Do you know how many times he's told me how much he loves you and the twins at work? He never fails to tell me. He never loved Addison like he loves you. Mer, you have nothing to worry about. He's not having an affair with an English intern. You and the twins are safe,"

Meredith looked up at her friend.

"You know Amelia has turned you into a softie," said Meredith, wiping away her tears.

Christina play punched her friend as the laughed. Meredith's cell phone rang

"Hello?"

"Meredith?"

"GEORGE! I haven't seen you in a while. Hey, how are you?"

"Mer, I need you to come down to the hospital now,"

"George, what's wrong. You sound worried,"

"Mer…. It's Derek,"

_**A/N: So this is the sequel to Grey's Anatomy: Post Prom. Please don't let the title of the story let you think that Mer and Derek neglect their kids. I jsut like it. So...I think this is pretty good chapter, but I don't know. Please tell me what you guys think!**_


	2. Grieving

**Chapter 2: Grieving**

Meredith closed her phone as tears came to her eyes.

"Meredith?" asked Christina cautiously

"That was George," said Meredith

"Okay…and what did George want?"

"I-I gotta go to the hospital," Meredith broke out of her trance, "Its Derek. He-He was coming home early to surprise me and the kids and…and-"

Meredith broke down in tears

"I-I gotta go. Can you watch the kids for me?"

Christina nodded as she walked her friend to the door. Meredith was about to step out when Christina caught hold of her and brought her into a hug

"Mer, everything's going to be alright,"

"Thanks Christina. I'll call you later on tonight,"

"Take as long as you want,"

Meredith gave her a weak smile as she headed towards her car. Christina watched her drive away. She knew something bad had happened to Derek, she just hoped he wasn't dead.

----

Meredith burst into Seattle Grace Hospital with a range of emotions running through her mind. She saw some people running around frantically. She caught a few words of what they were saying

"MORE BLOOD!"

"OPEN OR 3!"

"I can't believe it! He's our top surgeon!"

The nurse who said that caught sight of Meredith and ran in the other direction. Meredith sprinted towards an open elevator and pressed for the 3rd floor. About 30 seconds later Meredith arrived on the surgical ward. Almost everyone was running around. _Shit. I hope he's not dead. _Finally she recognized someone.

"CHIEF!"

Meredith ran towards the Chief of Surgery. He looked happy to see her, but also scared

"Meredith! Glad to see you're here. I take it, it's for Derek,"

"Chief this is my first day off in a month. You think I'd waste it when I could be at home with my kids? Now what the hell is up with my husband?"

Meredith was practically yelling and in tears. Everyone around her stopped and looked.

"Meredith calm down. I need you to follow me. You can't see him quite yet,"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T SEE HIM? I'M THE TOP NUERO NEXT TO HIM! NOT TO MENTION HE'S MY FREAKIN HUSBAND!"

"Meredith I need you to calm down. I know this is a lot to take in. But right now he's not the top nuero in the country. He's a patient, and you're not the second to him. You're the patient's family and I need you to follow me,"

Meredith nodded and followed the Chief into an empty meeting room. Meredith sat down at one of the chairs. The Chief brought her a box of tissues.

"Okay Meredith, I'm going to tell you everything. Let me finish before you say anything. I know you guys got 2 kids at home and trust me I want him to heal as much as you do. But let me explain first,"

Meredith nodded,

"Okay good. First off, I take it George O'Malley called you correct?"  
Meredith nodded again,

"Okay good. So you know about his plane crashing? Good. Well when his plane went down in Wisconsin, it burst into flames. Derek is suffering from second-degree burns and he's also in a coma. He was rushed to Wisconsin General, but was sent here after. We're not sure how extensive his brain damage is, so we're taking him down for a CT and a MRI. Since you're in no way to operate, Dr. Mitchell will be doing it. Meredith we're doing all we can do help him. We're his family too,"

Meredith's eyes were filling with tears. "Thank you Chief. So he's pretty beat up?"

The Chief nodded

"We're getting Mark Sloan to work on his burns after his CT and MRT while Dr. Mitchell will be working on his…brain,"

Meredith nodded

"Would you like to go see everyone?"

Once again she nodded.

"Okay I'll be right back,"

The Chief left the room. Meredith buried her head in her hands. Tears came streaming down. She took out her phone and called Christina

"Hello?"

"Chris?"

"MEREDITH!"

"Hey,"

"Is everything okay?"  
"Depending,"

"So what happened?"

"Are the kids around?"

"No, they're watching a movie,"

"Okay good. You have to promise you won't tell them. I'll tell them when I'm ready,"

"Okay,"

Meredith took a deep breath

"Well, he was on his way home like I said when his plane crashed in Wisconsin. It burst into flames and he was taken to Wisconsin General with second-degree burns and in a coma. Shortly after he was transferred here where he's going to go into surgery to recover his lost skin. Greg Mitchell will be working on his…brain since I'm in no way in the state too."

There was a silence on the other end

"Oh Mer I'm so sorry,"

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Thanks Chris. Hey I gotta go. Like I said don't tell Audrey or Jacc. Especially Audrey…she'll flip,"

"Don't worry I won't"

"Thanks Chris. I love you so much,"

"No problem,"

Meredith hung up the phone and called to the door

"Come in!"

One by one: Addison, Mark, Izzy, Alex, George, Calli, Emily, Burke, and the Chief entered the room and sat in the chairs. Meredith started to cry again. Addison and Izzy came over and hugged her as she cried. Everyone sat in silence. Giving Meredith time to grieve. It was hard on everyone. After Meredith cried she tried to straighten her self up

"Thanks guys. This really means a lot to me,"

"Mer, he's our family too. We all love him. There's no way in the world, we wouldn't be here with you,"

Said Burke.

Meredith smiled as she looked around. Addison, Izzy, Calli and Emily were in tears. Mark was staring off into space. Alex was comforting Izzy and George was rubbing Calli's back. Emily was over by Meredith as they held hands and Burke's and Richard's hands were on Meredith's shoulders. Suddenly a nurse came in

"Chief the results are back," she said in a quiet voice

The Chief came over and took the films and held them up to the light

"Oh my. Page Dr. Mitchell immediately. Get OR 3 open and prepped. If someone has it booked, tell him or her by my orders, that I need it. Mark, get ready to operate NOW!"

Mark went to give Meredith a hug and left. Chief came over to Meredith

"Do you want to see this?"

"I might as well,"

Everyone gathered around Meredith as she took the films. There was massive blood in Derek's brain. By every minute that passed, there was a greater chance that he would die. Meredith then went into tears again. Soon, everyone was…. for in fear that a surgeon, friend, husband, and father would be soon gone.

**_A/N: Yes, short chapter…but I kinda wanted to explain what was going on. Yes…. sad, but next chapter will be better, (I hope). I want Derek to live to. Trust me he's not going to die! I would never do that. Please tell me what you think! Even though this was a depressing chapter. Just a short recap:_**

**_Izzy and Alex are married with no kids; George and Calli are married with a 5-year-old son: Jeremy; Addison and Mark are dating and they are really good friends with Meredith and Derek; Chief is still the Chief, but will be retiring at the end of the year; Emily is a 3-year resident and is looking into Cardio. She's been welcomed into the SGH family with open arms and is currently single._**

**_So that's what's been going on in everyone's life. Next chapter coming soon!_**


	3. Reunion

**Chapter 3: Scared**

**_A/N: Thanks for all the Reviews. I have more than I did on my first fic. I saw a common them the reviews though, so I'll say this now: I WOULD NEVER EVER, IN A MILLION YEARS KILL OFF DEREK SHEPHERD! Okay, I love him WAY too much. I don't really like this chapter, but please tell me what you guys think._**

-----

"Meredith?"

George shook Meredith awake. She had fallen asleep in one of the on-call rooms.

"Huh? What? George? What time is it? Where's Audrey and Jacc?"

Meredith was waking up with each sentence she asked. She saw George sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her.

"Don't worry, Audrey and Jacc are with Izzy, and it's around noon. Christina came with them around 7, and Izzy got off her shift around then so,"

"I feel like a horrible mother," said Meredith

"No, you're not. I mean you can't help it that you're the number 2 attending neurosurgeon in the country with your husband laying in a hospital bed while raising 2 kids can you? It could be worse. You could be doing it single,"

"Ya, and it looks like I'm going to be able to,"

Tears came to Meredith's eyes. George held Meredith tightly. After a couple minutes, Meredith stood up and wiped away the tears

"Thanks Uncle Georgie," said Meredith teasingly. George laughed

"No problem Mer,"

Both hugged and walked out of the on-call room and started to walk down the hall

"So George, is there any way that I could you know? Go see him?"

George looked at Meredith. Tears were starting to form in her eyes

"Sure. But I should warn you; he's pretty beat up. His surgery was a success, but there he might have some difficulties. He's in a coma right now,"

Meredith nodded in acknowledgment.

"Ok, he's in room 256 in the ICU. You want me to come with you?"

Meredith shook her head "No, I better do this on my own,"

"Okay Mer,"

George took Meredith into one last hug

"I'll be checking on one of my patients, page me if you need me,"

"Thanks George,"

"No problem,"

Meredith smiled and headed towards the elevator. George smiled and went the separate way, hoping his friend would be all right.

------

Meredith stood outside of Derek's door. Tears were pouring down her cheeks. She heard someone come up behind her, but she didn't turn to see who it was

"Mer?"

Meredith recognized that voice instantly.

"Addison? W-What are you doing here?"

Meredith quickly wiped away her tears,

"No, don't do that, you have a right to cry. You have twins at home who have no idea what the hell is going on, while your husband is in there, who might be dying. Meredith, you have a right to cry. What do you think I've been doing? I think Mark's getting tired of seeing me with red puffy eyes!"

Both girls laughed

"Addison?"

"Mmmm?"

"Will you go in with me?"

"Anything for you Meredith,"

Meredith smiled. Meredith took a deep breath and opened the door. She looked over to Derek. He was laying there, with all sorts of tubes hooked up to him. A few more tears feel. She could hear Addison behind her, sniffling. Meredith took a few steps over to Derek, and sat down next to his bed. She took hold of his hand. It was cold as ice. More tears fell.

"Oh Derek," whispered Meredith, "I'm so sorry. I mean it's not my fault but still. I pushed you into going to England. And then all those mean things I said the Christina about you. I feel so bad. Audrey and Jacc don't know yet. I don't know how I'm going to tell them that they're daddy is dying. I know we have like every freakin surgeon in this hospital helping us out, but Derek I need you. No body can say 'Good-night moon' like you. And who will take them on surprise ferryboat trips like you do? Derek you can't die on me. You just can't," Meredith collapsed into tears. She felt someone's hand touch hers but she didn't move

"Derek, I love you so much!"

Suddenly there was a long beep. Meredith looked up at Derek's heart monitor. He was flat-linning. She ran over and pracitcally punched the Code Blue button then started to pump his chest. Addison was at the door waiting for Burke. Finally he came in and set up beside Derek. Meredith moved away so Burke could work.

"Okay, charge to 150...Clear!" he shouted

Derek came off the bed then landed, but nothing happened.

"Okay charge ot 200...CLEAR!"

Again, there was no change in Derek's heart

"GOD DAMMIT DEREK! C'MON!...CHARGE TO 250! CLEAR!"

Finally Derek's heart began to pump again. Burke let out a huge sigh of relife. He looked over to Meredith. She was leaning up against Addison crying. He came over and hugged her

"Thanks Preston," she whispered

"I wouldn't of come if you wouldn't of called. You saved his life,"

Meredith flashed a small smile.

"So he's going to be okay?"

"We'll have to keep a close eye on him, but for right now, he's okay,"

"Thanks,"

"No problem Mer,"

Meredith hugged Burke and left the room. Addison followed closley behind her.

"Hey, Addison, thanks for being there,"

"No problem Mer. Remember we all love him,"

Both girls hugged

"I gotta go and check up on some patients. I'll see ya later,"

Meredith nodded and Addison left. Meredith watched her leave. She felt a hand on her shoulder

"Burke! You scared me!" jumped Meredith

"Sorry," he chuckled. "So, were you going to go home?"

"I don't know," answered Meredith

"How about you spend the night at my place. It beats going home to an empty house,"

Meredith smiled

"Thanks, I think I will,"

Meredith and Burke hugged again and Meredith headed towards the elevator. Tears started to fall as she started call Christina and prepare for a long and sleepless night.

**_A/N: Scared y'all didn't I? I didn't like the first ch. 3 I wrote, so I rewrote it. I like this one better. This was hard to write, and it's still very short. I personally don't like it as much as the first two, but that's kind of up to you guys isn't it? Please tell me what you think! And again…. did u honestly think that I would kill Derek off? PLEASE REVIEW!_**


	4. Fond Memories

**Chapter 4: Fond Memories**

_**A/N: This is going to sound really wired, but I rewrote Reunion and renamed it. So it may still say: Reunion but it's now Scared. So if you want, I'd advise you to go back and reread it, then come back to this. THANKS! D**_

Meredith opened the front door and walked in the next morning. It was good to be home with her kids. It had been two days since the accidents and they still had no idea that their dad was laying in a hospital bed, still in a coma. They thought that she was called into emergency surgery that day. She took a deep sigh as she watched them run over to the TV and plug in the X-BOX to play "Surgeon General" their favorite game. Meredith walked into the kitchen and took out the Advil. Even if she was a neurosurgeon, that much information taken into her brain at once, as killing her. She was about to reach for the Tequila, but quickly rejected it. Instead she pulled Mt. Dew out of the fridge and took a big drink. Even since the kids were born, she substituted Tequila for Mt. Dew, but still kept the alcohol in the house for 'special occasions.' Meredith walked in to the living room and flopped down on to the chair. She watched her kids as they tried to operate on a solider that got wounded in war.

"Mommy?"

"Yes Audrey?"

"What did you do?"

"What do u mean?"

"Like what kind of surgery did you perform?"

Meredith was stuck. She knew that she couldn't keep the secret for long. Especially from her "Daddy's Little Girl". Meredith took a deep sigh

"Audrey, Jaccob there's something I have to tell you,"

Audrey and Jaccob looked up at their mother. They could see worry in their eyes. Meredith closed her eyes and took another deep breath.

"Yesterday, I wasn't pulled away from Aunt Crissy's because I was called in for surgery. You see, Uncle Georgie called and…"

Meredith took another deep breath,

"And…. he had some bad news. See Daddy was coming home early from his trip, and his plane crashed in this place called Wisconsin. He's badly hurt. He was rushed over here to Seattle, and was put into surgery. Right now he's fine, he's just asleep,"

Meredith looked at her children. Audrey looked like she was going to burst. Jaccob just sat there looking up at Meredith,

"So-so Daddy is dying?" asked Jaccob

Meredith didn't know what to do. Tears started to fall. Audrey got up and ran up the stairs. All Meredith heard was a slam from her room and she flinched. She knew she was going to take it hard, Meredith just didn't know how hard. She looked back at her son. He was still sitting there

"Jacc?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you lie to us?"

Meredith didn't know how to answer that

"Jacc-"

Jaccob got up and climbed the stairs. Meredith heard his door close, just not as loudly. Meredith sunk down in the chair. She put her hands up to her face and let out a groan.

"Shit. That could have gone better,"

Meredith was interrupted by the phone. She got up and went into the kitchen.

"Hello?"

"Meredith?"

"Oh, hey Preston. What's up?"

"Mer…. he's awake,"

-------

Meredith kept on pushing the 'up' button on the elevator, while holding onto Audrey and Jaccob.

"Damn elevator, never can move fast enough!"

Finally it opened. Meredith and the twins jumped in and pressed for the 4th floor button. After a couple of minutes the doors opened. The Surgical floor was filled with it's usual nurses, interns, and residents. Everyone turned when they saw Meredith. They just stood there and stared at her

"WHAT? Don't you guys have something better to do then gossip about me? God, you think you guys would get tired of me! NOW GO!"

Everyone started to scurry out of Meredith's way

"Mommy?"

"Yes dear?"

"Why were you yelling?" Audrey was barley talking to her mom, but she was getting over it.

Meredith laughed

"Because Hon, it's what surgeons do,"

"Okay,"

Meredith was happy that her daughter was content with that answer. She didn't know how to explain 9 years of gossip to her daughter at that moment. After a few twists and turns, they got to Derek's room. Everyone was standing outside with red puffy eyes. They all saw Meredith and smiled, but they quickly faded when they saw the kids. Christina stepped forward

"Why are they here?" snapped Christina

"I couldn't lie to them. Besides they have a right to know where their father is don't they?"

Christina shrugged and bent down

"Hey guys. You okay?"

Audrey and Jaccob shrugged. Christina laughed as she took them into a hug. Burke came out at the exact moment, and was startled to see Meredith there with the kids.

"Meredith. Damn you got here fast!"

"I only live what 10 minutes from here Burke. 2 if I floor it," laughed Meredith. Burke laughed at her comment.

"I take it you told them?" he asked gesturing toward the kids

"I couldn't lie to them Burke. They have a right to know,"

"I understand. You want to go in and see him?"

"Can I?"

"Sure,"

Meredith smiled, then bent down to Audrey and Jaccob

"Guys, I'm going to go in and talk to Daddy for a second. I'll come back out and get you so you can say hi okay?"

Both kids nodded. Meredith smiled. She then rose up and took a deep breath and walked in. She saw Derek propped up on some pillows smiling.

"Derek," whispered Meredith is a sigh or relief

"Hey," he said smiling

Meredith walked over to him and kissed him.

"I've missed you," she said pulling away

"I can tell," he said smiling. She smiled back.

"I've missed you," said Derek

"I think we've already established that," said Meredith

"I've still missed you,"

Meredith laughed

"And your laugh,"

"Derek…shut up,"

Derek laughed

"You know this isn't how I planned seeing you again. I was thinking more along the lines of a dozen red roses and cheesecake, not me lying here in a hospital bed,"

"Cheesecake?"

"Yes, Cheesecake,"

"Why must you always bring up Cheesecake?" laughed Meredith

"Because it's one of the fond memories that I don't want to forget,"

"DEREK!"

Derek laughed

"Okay, just kidding,"

Meredith smiled. She did miss his smile and his corckiness. Suddenly there was a knock at the door

"Come in," called Derek. The door opened and came in everyone. They surrounded the bed and Audrey and Jacc climbed up to their father. Meredith couldn't help but to cry. She loved to see her kids cuddle with their father. She felt a hand on her shoulder

"It's nice to have him back isn't it?" asked Emily

"You have no idea," whispered Meredith.

"Ya, I've missed him to. He is my half-brother-in-law so…he's family," she smiled

Meredith smiled

"Thanks Em," she said

"No problem,"

The two sisters hugged. The atmosphere in the room was much better than in the meeting room a couple days before. Everyone was just glad to have their best friend back, and he was more than glad to be back.

**_A/N: Finally a chapter I like! Ya so…I'm like UBER tired. I went to this waterpark today so. Okay quick poll: What should George "do" as a suregon?_**

**_A: Cardio_**

**_B. Orthopedic_**

**_C. Own his own private practice and come to SGH often_**

**_D. Other (enter your own idea here)_**

**_PLEASE RESPOND AND REVIEW!_**


	5. Good News, Bad News

**Chapter 5: Good News, Bad News**

Meredith pulled into the nearest McDonalds Drive Thru and waited in line. Her kids were starving and wanted food NOW! Meredith finally gave in since 'they couldn't wait till they got home'.

"So what do you guys want?" asked Meredith as she looked back in the rearview mirror

Audrey and Jaccob were fighting again over who got the purple crayon, since they both needed it to color whatever they were coloring.

"GUYS!" Meredith yelled playfully. Both kids looked up and dropped the crayon "Seriously, you guys act like you're five. Now, what do you want?"

"CHICKEN NUGGETS!" squealed Audrey

"CHESSEBURGER!" chimed in Jaccob

Meredith laughed as she pulled up to the intercom

"Welcome to McDonalds may I take your order?"

"Um yes, I'll take the Cheeseburger Kids Meal with the Apple Dippers and a Sprite. Umm, Also another Kids Meal but this time with Chicken Nuggets, Apple Dippers and a HiC. And I'll have the Asian Salad with a Diet Coke,"

"That will be $7.85 please pull up to the first window,"

Meredith sighed. It had been a while since she had eaten. Even since the news of Derek, she had only drunken coffee and now the smell of the greasy fast food was calling to her. 10 minutes later they were on the highway again. It was surprisingly quite since the kids were eating. Meredith last minute decided to go back to SGH and have dinner with Derek. She knew the kids would want to spend as much time as possible with him since he had been gone for so long. Meredith pulled into her usual spot and parked the car. She got out and went around to get the kids.

"Mom?"

"Yes Jacc?"

"Why are we back here?"

Meredith lifted Jaccob down from the car and did the same to Audrey. She took both of their hands while trying to balance her food

"Because honey, I thought it would be nice to eat dinner with daddy," answered Meredith as they stepped into SG smiling down at her son. All the nurses were still there, but some of the interns were leaving.

"Johnson, why are you leaving so early?" called out Meredith to a familiar intern

"D-Dr. Stevens said I could go Dr. Sh-Shephered,"

"Fine… go,"

Meredith rolled her eyes as she walked past the intern.

"Dammit Izzy," she cursed "Since when did you let interns go at 7?"

"MOMMY LANGUAGE!"

Meredith laughed at her daughter as she called for the elevator. Surprisingly it opened. _Wow that's never happened before_ laughed Meredith. All three stepped into the elevator and Meredith pressed for the 4th floor. Meanwhile Jaccob was playing with his toy car, and Audrey was digging through her box for her toy

"Audrey?"

"Yes Mommy?"

"Did you eat all your food?"

"Yes," she replied, but wouldn't look at Meredith

"Audrey!" Meredith said sternly

Audrey stopped searching and ate another apple. Meredith laughed. She knew sometimes she was hard on her kids, but it was for their own good. She made a mental note, to try to be nicer. The doors opened and the three of them stepped out. Some of the nearby residents greeted Meredith and she smiled back. Meredith made a beeline for Derek's door. When she got there, she saw that it was closed. For some reason, she expected it to be open. She knocked softly

"Come in!"

Meredith heard a voice from the other side. She recognized it as Burke's. Meredith opened the door to see him standing over Derek's bed. Derek was sitting up and smiling. Meredith sighed a sigh of relief.

"Mer!" greeted Derek "I thought you were going home!"

"I was but-uh the kids wanted to eat dinner with you, so I decided to come back," said Meredith blushing Derek and Burke let out a laugh

"Sure they did Mer," accused Derek

Meredith let out a chuckle

"Come here guys!" he called. Both kids bounded over to their dad and crawled onto his bed.

"Is it all right Pres?"

"Sure Derek, but only for this one time,"

Preston and Meredith smiled as they watched Derek bond with the kids.

"Hey Meredith, can I speak to you outside?" Burke asked snapping Meredith away from her husband

"Sure Preston,"

Meredith set down her salad and walked outside the room. The last thing Meredith saw was Derek eating one of Audrey's Apple Dippers. Both Dr.'s exited the room and stood outside.

"What's up Preston?"

"Meredith we did some tests today, and even though he's getting better, we found a minor blood clot in his brain. Luckily, we found it now. That's what I was talking to Derek about when you came in,"

Meredith stood there, looking at Burke

"You-You're kidding right? I mean when I walked in he was smiling. And why wasn't this found earlier?"

Demanded Meredith, getting angrier by the second

"Mer, I need you to calm down. He didn't want to worry you. When I told him, he didn't seem that worried. Like I said it's minor and-"

"I don't care if it's minor or major! Why wasn't I notified about this earlier!"

"MEREDITH calm down! Mitchell removed everything we could, but this just showed up. I scheduled a surgery for tomorrow so we can get it out before it grows any bigger,"

"Who's doing it?"

"Mitchell,"

"No he's not I am," said Meredith sternly

"Meredith you are in no condition to operate. He's your husband!"

"I don't care Preston! If that were Christina would you let anyone else operate on her besides you? Mitchell screwed up. Now I'm doing the surgery. If Mitchell has a problem with it, tell him to bring it up with me!"

Preston let out a sigh

"Okay, you're right. But, can you do me a favor before I leave?"

"What?"

"CALM DOWN! Meredith you're on the edge. You know it's not Mitchell's fault so don't go blame it on him,"

Meredith let out a sigh

"I know," she confessed "It's just that, all of this is coming at me so fast. I just want to have him home again. I missed him, and now he's stuck in the hospital. Preston, I just want my McDreamy back,"

Burke hugged Meredith

"I know, Mer. We all do,"

They stayed in the hug for a few more seconds then pulled away

"So what time's the surgery?"

"2,"

"Okay, then I just need someone to take care of Aud and Jacc,"

"I'll do it,"

"Thanks Pres, but I think I've put them on your hands too much lately. Do you know if George has the day off tomorrow?"

"I don't know, but I can ask. Mer, we're always happy to take care of Aud and Jacc for you,"

"I know, but I'll feel bad. But thanks anyway,"

They hugged again, and went back to Derek's room, planning to tell him the news about his surgery later.

-----

Meredith woke up at 9 a.m. the next morning. It took Meredith a few minutes to think about what day it was and to figure out why haven't woken her up already. Meredith laid in bed, thinking about the night before.

"Mmmm, this is good," said Derek taking a bite out of Meredith's salad. Meredith laughed 

"_You act like you haven't eaten in forever,"_

"_Well, unless you count the crap that they're feeding me, then I guess I haven't," _

_The two laugh as they ate together. The kids were laying on the edge of Derek's bed, sleeping. Even though it was 10, it was way past their bedtime. There was a quiet knock at the door_

"_Come in," whispered Derek loudly. Burke walked in, smiling "Hey Preston," _

"_Hey Derek, how you feeling?"_

"_Better since I've gotten real food in me," Derek laughed. Burke laughed too. _

"_Derek, there is something I need to run by you real quick," Burke looked at Meredith. She knew he was going to tell him. Meredith braced herself since she had no idea how Derek was going to react. _

"_Derek, there had been a change in your surgery. Nothing major, just a small minor adjustment,"_

_Meredith closed her eyes_

"_What is it?" asked Derek entertained_

"_Well, Mitchell isn't going to perform your surgery," Burke started. Derek's face fell_

"What? Why not? If he's not, then-" 

_Derek turned to Meredith. Her eyes still closed_

"_Meredith?"  
Meredith slowly opened her eyes. _

"_Hey," she said softly_

"_Meredith? Meredith…my Meredith. This woman whose sitting right here beside me is going to perform brain surgery….on me?"_

_Burke and Meredith nodded. Derek let out a small laugh_

"_Just one question….WHY?"_

"_Derek, don't wake up the kids," snapped Meredith_

"_Mer, I can't let you do this," he said looking at her sternly_

"_Derek, don't. I need to do this. When Burke told me that you had another clot, I almost collapsed. I wanted to go kill Mitchell, even if it wasn't his fault. Derek, the only one I trust with you is me. I've done this surgery hundreds times before. The only difference is that you'll be on the table and not some other patient. Derek please let me do this. If you won't let me, then I don't know what I'm going to do. Please?"_

_Derek looked at Meredith. He could tell she really wanted to do this. Derek sighed_

"_Only because I love you," he answered. Meredith smiled and pulled him into a kiss._

Meredith sighed. She had no idea what she was getting herself into. But the first step was to get out of bed. She jumped out and went into the shower. She turned it on and jumped in. It felt good to have the hot water run down her back, especially before a surgery. She used her special "surgery-lavender" shampoo that she only used when she was going to perform a surgery that day. It was her ritual. The last time she didn't wear it, the lady flat-lined and it was her first day as an attending. Meredith got out and dried off. She pulled on a pair of skinny jeans and a green sweater. She then went into the kid's rooms to see if they were still sleeping. Meredith smiled as she walked over the Audrey and shook her awake.

"Audrey honey. C'mon let's get up. It's 10 o'clock. You need to get dressed and eat breakfast so you can go to Uncle Georgies and Aunt Callie's,"

Audrey opened her eyes reluctantly

"That's my good girl,"

Meredith left Audrey to get dressed. She went over to Jacc's room to see him already getting dressed

"Hey Jacc," she said

"Hey Mom,"

Meredith could tell Jacc was worried. She leaned up against the doorframe

"What's up bud?"

Jacc turned to her

"Mom, dad's not going to die is he?"

Meredith looked at her son. She then walked over to him and gave him a big hug

"No Hon he's not. He's got one of the best surgeon's working on him today. Trust me he'll be home by this time next week, I promise,"

She let go of her son and kissed him ontop of the head.  
"Now, c'mon let's go get something to eat. We don't want to keep Uncle George waiting do we?"

Jacc smiled as he walked out of the room with him mom. Somehow, he felt more confident that his dad was coming home.

-----

"It's a beautiful day to save lives,"

Meredith walked into the OR ready to go. She took in a deep breath. She loved the smell of an OR. The feeling just made her day. But, she was a little nervous. She walked over to Derek on the table

"You ready Hon?"

"Ready as I'll ever be,"

Meredith bent down and kissed him

"I'll see ya later okay?"

Derek nodded as he was given the anesthesia. Meredith smiled as she walked over to his head.

"Okay people, I want him back in my bed 7 o'clock next Tuesday night you hear me? Now let's get this guy home! Scalpel!"

The nurse handed Meredith the scalpel. She took a deep breath and made her first incision on Derek's head.

-----

Derek opened his groggy eyes to see Meredith standing over him

"Welcome back," she said with a smile

"Mer?"

Meredith smiled

"Wow….ow!" He put his hand to his head

"Ya, it's going to hurt for a bit. We got some morphine here for you though,"

Meredith went over and held up the morphine

"Thanks, I'm going to need that," he said, smiling. "So everything went well?"

"Perfectly. No more blood clots. I talked to Preston and he said that you might be able to go home on Monday!"

"That's great but you do know it's Tuesday?" said Derek

Meredith nodded

So you're my doctor now?" he asked with a smile

"We both are…Preston and I. But him more than me,"

Derek smiled

"I love you," he said

"I love you too,"  
Meredith bent down and kissed Derek,

"I'll be back later okay?"

Derek nodded

"Try to get some rest,"

Meredith started to head towards the door. She looked back at Derek, to see him falling asleep. She smiled happily as she left. She felt good that she not only saved another life, but she had saved her husbands life. For the first time in a while, Meredith left Derek's room smiling, knowing that he was going to be okay.

**_A/N: YA LONG CHAPTER…he he. I like this chapter for some reason. That's two updates in one day. YA ME! Lol. So please tell me what you think. I got tomorrow off from school because of Labor Day (I LOVE AMERICAN HOLIDAYS!) so expect a couple more updates! REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED!_**


	6. Fond Memories II

**Chapter 6: Fond Memories**

**Disclamer: I don't own Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol, but I wish I did since it's like THE BEST SONG IN THE WORLD!**

Meredith exited SG at exactly 7:17 p.m. She had just finished her rounds and did one last check up on Derek, before heading over to Izzy's to pick up the kids. It had been 5 days since his surgery and Derek was improving dramatically. Burke had pulled Meredith over at lunch to tell her that if he continuing on this pace, that he might be able to go home tomorrow night. This had made Meredith's day. She couldn't wait to get to Izzy's and tell the kids the great news. They knew their dad was improving, and everyday they asked about him. Meredith hopped into the car and revved the engine. She turned on the radio, only to hear her favorite song playing:

_We'll do it all _

_Everything _

_On our own _

_We don't need _

_Anything _

_Or anyone _

_If I lay here _

_If I just lay here _

_Would you lie with me and just forget the world? _

I don't quite know 

_How to say _

_How I feel _

_Those three words _

_Are said too much _

_They're not enough _

_If I lay here _

_If I just lay here _

_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

She sang along with the radio. She considered it her and Derek's song. Everytime she heard the song, her immediate thoughts were of her and Derek when she was an intern. A smile crept across her face as she was brought back into the past. She loved the past, even though it was full of hurtful memories. She could never forget the first time she met him:

_Meredith slammed down a shot of Tequila. _

"_Hit me," she said obviously drunk_

"_Uh, don't you think you've had enough?" asked Joe_

"_Did I ask for your opinion. Now hit me!"_

_Joe just shrugged and poured her another shot. She drained it in 5 seconds. Suddenly a attractive man came and sat down next to her_

"_Is this seat taken?" he asked_

_Meredith shook her head_

"_Hit me!"_

_The man smiled. He had no idea why she was trying to get herself drunk, but he thought it was cute. _

"_May I help you?" asked Meredith realizing that he was staring at her_

"_Sorry," he said, snapping out of his daydream "I was just wondering why an attractive young woman such as yourself, would be drinking her self drunk?"_

_He flashed a smile_

"_You have no idea what my life is like and trust me you don't wanna. AND STOP SMILING AT ME! Whenever a guy smiles at me, I end up sleeping with me, and trust me I'm in no mood to have sex tonight. Now! Hit me!"_

_The guy just smiled at her_

"_Well in that case, I'll stop smiling, But, do you mind if I drink with you?"_

"_Be my guest,"_

"_In that case I'll have a large Scotch,"_

_Joe shrugged as he poured the guy a Scotch_

"_I'm Derek by the way," said Derek before draining his drink_

"_Meredith. Hit me!"_

Meredith smiled. _So young and so naive,_ she thought. _If only I knew then that, that would be the beginning of a hell of a year. _Meredith pulled into Izzy's driveway. It surprised Meredith that she was there already. She didn't realize that she was actually driving. Meredith chuckled and walked up the steps. She knocked on the door. After a few minutes the door opened to revile Alex.

"Oh Hey Alex," greeted Meredith

"Hey Mer," he stepped aside to let Meredith in. Ever since Izzy moved out of Intern Inn and in with Alex, he was a completely different man.

"HEY IZZ….MER'S HERE!" he yelled up the stairs

A few minutes later, a flustered Izzy came down

"Alex do you have to yell? Oh hey Mer!"

Izzy gave Meredith a quick hug

"The kids just took a bath, so…"

Meredith laughed

"Thanks Izz I owe you for all the times that I throw them into your hands!"

Izzy laughed too

"It's no problem. We love taking care of them, and since Derek and all, we would be happy to watch over the twins,"

"You mean the two devils!" muttered Alex

Izzy play punched Alex in the stomach

"HEY! What the hell was that for?"

"LANGUAGE!"

Audrey and Jaccob came bounding down the stairs in their Pj's. The moment they saw their mom they ran to her and gave her a big bear hug

"Hey guys! Did you have fun with Uncle Alex today?" she teased

Audrey and Jaccob smiled a mischievous smile at Meredith. Meredith couldn't help but laugh

"Hey I got some great news guys!"

Both kids' eyes lit up.

"Uncle Burke said that Daddy might be able to come home tomorrow!"

Both kids started screaming. Meredith, Alex, and Izzy had to cover their ears, or else their eardrums would burst. After the screaming died down, they started to skip around the house singing:

"Daddy's coming home….Daddy's coming home!"

All three adults laughed. Meredith couldn't remember seeing the kids that happy before. She knew this was a moment that would last forever.

**_A/N: Wow I can't believe I'm already on Ch. 6. Okay…I know REALLY short chapter, but I thought that I might add it in. I promise, the rest will be LONG! I think this one it's okay, but PLZ tell me what YOU think! Next chapter reveals George/Calli, Christina/Burke and definitely Mer/Der since he's coming home! REVIEW PLZ!_**


	7. Love Is Universal At Least in Seattle

**Chapter 7: Love Is Universal (at least in Seattle)**

**Results of the poll:**

**A. Cardio: 4**

**B. Ortho: 3**

**C. Small private practice: 0**

**D. Other: 1**

George sighed a deep sigh as he threw his keys on the counter of the apartment. He looked around. Over in the corner he saw his 5-year-old son Jeremy coloring and occasionally looking up at the TV screen watching Sesame Street. George let a smile escape him. He loved his son. He loved his beautiful wavy black hair, which was fell short beyond the ears. He loved his chestnut eyes that were glued to the TV screen as Elmo was yelling about the letter "S". George broke away from his son and turned to the kitchen. He saw his wife Callie trying to make Mac N Cheese for dinner. There was also a hot pan filled with hotdogs, which were close to burning. George let out a small laugh. He didn't want Callie to know that he was laughing at her lack-of-cooking-experience. She didn't know that he was home yet. George decided to surprise her. He snuck up on her, and put his hands around her waist. She let out a small squeal.

"GEORGE O'MALLEY I SWEAR ONE OF THESE DAYS!"

Before she could finish her sentence George pulled her into a passionate kiss.

"What Call? What will you do to me?" she asked sarcastically with a smile on her face

"Well, looks like you're going to have to think about that while I'm on my way out for take-out since looks like dinner's going to be burnt…. again!" he contradicted with a smile on his face

"SHIT!" she yelled turning back to the stove. She quickly turned off the stove and removed the pan. George laughed as he watched his wife scurry around the kitchen

"You know you could help!" she snapped

"Sorry, did a triple bypass surgery today, I'm all helped out!" he said as he turned over to his son. Callie shot George an evil look before turning back to her slightly black hotdogs. George leaned down next to his son

"Hey kiddo," he welcomed kissed him on the cheek "You have fun in daycare?"

Jeremy shrugged, eyes still glued to the TV

"So, Jeremy, what's so interesting on SS today?" asked George, entertained

"The letter 'S'," replied Jeremy, hypnotized by Big Bird

"And what starts with the letter 'S'?"

"SURGEON!" cried Jeremy

"Very good," said George brining his son into a big bear hug.

Callie leaned up against the kitchen doorframe watching the bondage of father-son.

"Hey guys…dinner's ready!"

George and Jeremy exchanged looks

"Don't worry Jer, I'll bring home pizza tomorrow!" whispered George as he took his son's hand and led him into the kitchen. Callie gave George a 'what-did-you-just-say?' look. George just smiled as the O'Malley family sat down to try to eat another 'Callie masterpiece'!

------

"DEREK DON'T YOU DARE STEP FOOT IN THIS HOSPTIAL UNTIL NEXT MONTH YOU HEAR?"

Derek and Meredith were heading toward the doors of SGH. Meredith was pushing Derek in the wheelchair, as Burke was calling out reminders from the balcony. Derek smiled up at Burke

"DON'T WORRY PRES! I'LL BE BACK TOMORROW!" Derek and Meredith laughed

"DEREK!"

"I'M KIDDING BURKE! CALM DOWN! SEE YA IN A MONTH!"

Burke shook his head as she watched the two leave. He turned and started to head towards one of his patient's room.

"You know you really shouldn't do that!" scolded Meredith

"Aww c'mon Mer, why not? He know I was kidding!"

Derek got out of the wheelchair and climbed into the passenger seat of the car. Meredith handed the wheelchair to Olivia

"God help me!" she whispered to the nurse

Olivia laughed "I'm glad I'm not you. You guys hate being home don't you?"

"You have no idea. I'll see ya later!"

"Bye Mer!"

Meredith smiled as she got into her Explorer. She looked over at Derek who was looking at her

"What?" she asked as she revved the engine

"You're not looking forward to this month aren't you?" he asked with his McDreamy smile. Meredith just gave him a look.

"Let's just say 'Thank god for work'!" Meredith laughed

"Awww c'mon you know you love me!"

Meredith got onto the highway, which was backed up. Meredith turned to Derek.

"If I didn't, I wouldn't of married you!" she said, smiling. She leaned into him, kissing him lightly on the lips.

"Ah, that's the Meredith I know!" he said when she pulled away. Meredith gave him another look, as she moved up.

"So where are the kids today? Bambi? Nazi? Nazi II? Or Betty Crocker?"

Meredith laughed at his names that he gave her friends

"Nazi II," she said, referring to Christina.  
"Ahhh. Great, so I get to be yelled at by my doctor's husband?" he laughed

"Sorry," she laughed back "But George had a triple bypass surgery today and I dumped the two little devils off at Betty Crocker yesterday,"

Derek laughed.

"You know, the hospital does have a daycare center that Jeremy goes to,"

"I know. I'm thinking about doing that. I mean, I'm getting tired of dumping them onto someone's hands when we can't handle them. I mean we work at the hospital, so it would work out. If we're on call, then we can put them to bed in an on-call room," said Meredith as she exited and started to head to Christina's.

"Then it's settled. When I go back to work, we'll start taking them to the hospital's day care center,"

"Okay then,"

Meredith pulled into Christina's driveway

"I'll be right back,"

Meredith kissed Derek,

"Don't take too long,"

Meredith smiled as she went up to the front door. Derek watched her. He never regretted the day that he married her. Heck, he never even regretted the day that he met her. He remembered that fatefully day over 9 years ago, that he met his wife. The 4 weeks that he was gone in London, had been the longest time of his life. A couple minutes later, he saw Meredith holding the kid's hands walking over to the car. Before he knew it, he heard piercing screams coming from two 7-year-old twins

"DADDY!"

Derek climbed out of the car and bent down to hug his kids

"DEREK SHEPHERD IF YOU DON'T PUT THAT GIRL DOWN AND GET IN THAT CAR THIS INSTANT, OR ELSE I'LL MAKE SURE YOU DON'T SEE THE INSIDE OF AN OR FOR A MONTH!"

Derek smiled as he heard his wife yell at him. He turned back to see her smiling, but with her hands on her hips. Christina was keeping herself for collapsing on the floor rolling in laughter. Derek put down his daughter, and put his hands in the air, like he was getting arrested

"I come in peace!" he yelled back. He climbed into the car and buckled his seat belt. He turned around to see his kids

"Hey kiddos! How have you been?"

Both kids had huge smiles on their faces. Derek couldn't help but smiling back.

"God he really does love them doesn't he?" asked Christina, calming down from her laughter fit

"Ya he does. I'm just glad that he's going home. He can make up for that month that he missed,"

"And what about you?"

"Oh trust me, he'll make it up somehow!" Meredith smiled an evil smile

"Oh god Mer…too much info!"

Meredith laughed

"Hey I gotta go, I'll see ya in a couple days!"

"Bye Mer and have fun tonight!"

Meredith winked as she headed towards the car. Meredith climbed in and turned around

"Okay guys, home or ferryboats?'

Meredith knew the answer before she finished the question

"FERRYBOATS!" yelled everyone in the car

Meredith laughed. She backed out of Christina's driveway and started to head towards the docks. Derek leaned into her

"You know I had something different in mind," he whispered

"Trust me, that comes later," she said trying to concentrate on the road. Derek smiled as he settled back in his seat. He loved Meredith's sudden surprised

"Okay we're here!"

Meredith parked and turned off the car. The kids jumped out of the car and ran to the dock

"I love you!" said Derek leaning into her

"Mmmm, I love you too," Meredith leaned into Derek. Before they could kiss, the kids interrupted them

"MOMMY! DADDY! AREN'T YOU COMING?"

"We'll continue this later, in bed!" whispered Meredith.

"Mmmm, can't wait!"

Derek and Meredith kissed one last time before exiting the car and headed up the ferryboats, just like they used to, before Derek left for London.

**_A/N: So...I really like this chapter. Fanfic has been down...but thanks for answering the poll. REVIEW PLZ!_**


	8. Fun Day

**Chapter 8: Fun Day**

"Mmm, that was good," sighed Meredith when she woke up the next morning.

"Ya that was," Derek rolled over to look at Meredith. He leaned into her and kissed her. "What do you say we continue this?"

Meredith laughed

"Derek, you just got out of over a week in surgery and the ICU. You need to rest and relax,"

"I am resting and relaxing," answered Derek kissing the crevice of her neck

"Derek!" laughed Meredith as she leaned into him.

"MOMMY….DADDY!"

Meredith and Derek smiled and groaned at the same time.

"I'll go, I haven't see them in a while," Derek said getting up

"Okay, just don't pick them up. Actually, don't pick anything up but a bowl and cereal," instructed Meredith getting up and heading to the shower

"Yes mother," smiled Derek as he threw on some clothes and went down stairs. He saw both kids sitting at the table, waiting for one of their parents. Unfortunately, patiently wasn't a word to describe the sight.

"Guys, the first day I'm home and you're already fighting? Did you give your mom this much….trouble?"

Both kids smiled innocently at their dad. Derek couldn't help but to exert a laugh.

"So, what do you guys want for breakfast? How about some Musli?"

"EWWWW!"

Derek laughed.

"Okay, how about Fruit Loops?"

"YA!"

Derek walked over to the cabinet and got down 3 bowls, Fruit Loops, Musli, and got some milk out of the fridge. He stood there for a second pondering how to carry everything. He glanced over to the kids. He could tell that they were waiting for 10 o'clock entertainment. _God I'm a brain surgeon, this shouldn't be that hard to figure out _laughed Derek. Luckily, Meredith came down at the right time.

"Oh, this looks interesting," Meredith said, smiling, walking over to the coffee machine.

"Ha ha very funny," replied Derek sarcastically

Meredith just smiled and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Usually you don't want any help. So I want to see this!"

Meredith smiled and evil smile and sat down with the kids

"Fine, no Musli for you!" teased Derek, going back to his task. After staring at everything for a few minutes he decided to put the milk carton inside the bowls and carried the cereal boxes ontop of each other in the other hand. Successfully he completed his mission.

"I'm a brain surgeon, carrying a cereal to the table. I bet Burke doesn't have to do this,"

"I'm sure he does Hon. it comes with the territory of being a dad,"

Meredith kissed Derek on the cheek as she took his bowl and poured herself some Musli.

"HEY!"

Meredith smiled

"Oh hey, you forgot spoons!"

Derek gave her an evil look with a smile and reluctantly got the spoons and another bowl down.

"Thank you Daddy!" Audrey stood up and kissed her dad

"See someone appreciates me!"

Meredith gave him a 'don't-push-it-you-got-what-you-wanted-last-night' look.

"So guys," said Meredith "What do you want to do today? I got the day off!"

"Zoo and Ferryboats?" suggested Jaccob

Meredith and Derek laughed

"Zoo and Ferryboats it is!"

------

"MOMMY!"

Christina woke up to her daughter calling her for help. She loved her daughter very much, but as a Cardio surgeon she needed her sleep.

"Coming dear!"

Christina rolled out of bed. It was days like this that she wished Burke wasn't on call. But that was the price she paid when he was Chief-in-training. She threw on some clothes and walked to her daughter's room. Luckily she saw her son helping her already.

"Thanks Chris, but I got it from here. How about you get the bowls out for the cereal?"

"Okay"

Christina walked over to her daughter and kissed her good morning.

"So what do you want to do today Melly?"

"Ummm, hang out with Audrey and Jacc and Aunt Mer and Uncle Derek?"

Christina laughed

"We'll see, remember Uncle Derek is still recovering from his surgery,"

Amelia hung her head. At that moment Christina felt a very rare emotion. Guilt. She couldn't stand to see her daughter sad.

"But, I think I can call her!"

Audrey's frown finally turned upside down.

"That's my girl's smile, now c'mon let's go see how good a cook Chris is!"

Audrey giggled as Christina wheeled her daughter out into the living room, knowing that today would be good.

-----

"MER! DEREK!"

Christina ran over to Meredith and Derek right before the entered the park

"CHRISTINA!"

"AUNT CRISSY!"

Audrey and Jaccob reached up and hugged Christina.

"Wow Christina, they've turned you into a softie huh? So what are you soft on interns now?"

"Ha ha very funny Derek. Good to see you too,"

"So you guys ready for some fun today?" asked Meredith breaking the friendly tension

"Actually Mer, if you want, I can take them and you and Derek can have some time alone!"

Derek and Meredith exchanged looks.

"Do you?"

"Only if you do?"

"But you haven't seen them!"

"And I haven't seen you!"

"But what will we do?"

"Continue what we did this morning?"

"Or go to the hospital?"

"So is that a yes?"

"Only if you say yes!"

"Then I say yes!"

"Okay you guys are going to have to explain that to me!"

"That's a yes Christina! Thank you so very much!"

Meredith and Derek hugged her kids and headed towards the car. They had to whole afternoon to themselves for the first times in over 5 months. Between their demanding jobs, and trips, it was hard. Meredith made a mental note to cook whatever the kids wanted for dinner and watch whatever movie. Derek put his hand in the small of Meredith's back. She looked up to see Derek staring at her. She loved that look. She smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek and left him begging for more.

**_A/N: Yes short, but I kinda like it. I'm kinda excluding the kids, but I will have more of them next chapter and later on. Along with longer chapters. I've just been so stressed with school and homework and tests that 's it's hard to juggle everything. Especially since your dad is mad at you and for the next couple days you have to sneak writing. Sorry…. TMI right? He he….so you know the drill…REVIEW PLEASE and more good and better stuff to come!_**


	9. Perfect

**Chapter 9: Perfect**

Audrey and Jaccob walked around the zoo with their non-blood-related cousins sulking a bit. They loved to be with them, but what they really wanted was to be with their mom and dad. When Meredith and Derek left, Audrey and Jacc knew it would be one of those days. It always turned up that way when Meredith and/or Derek had the day off. Christina tried to cheer them up, but after a while she gave up. She knew it was hard on them. Having the top two nuero-surgeons in the country being their parents and then having their dad come home in the hospital after being away for a month must be tough. She wondered if that was the way her kids felt. Christina was broken from her trance from her pager. She looked up to see the kids looking at the elephants. Quickly she checked it. It was Burke to see what going on. Christina sighed an annoyed sigh. What if it was a 9-1-1? She made a mental note to call him later. She looked back up at the kids. They started to come back towards her.

"Aunt Crissy, can we go home? It's no fun without mommy and daddy," complained Audrey walking over to Christina. Jacc looked the same way. But she didn't want to let her kids down who wanted to spend the day with them.

"Okay, I'll tell you what guys, if we continue this little trip, I'll take you out for ice cream and then…uh I'll umm"

Christina didn't know what they wanted

"Let us watch a surgery in the gallery?" piped up Jaccob.

"Sure, I'll let you watch a surgery in the gallery." Christina gave in. She knew Jacc wanted to be just like his parents, and understood their needs. Audrey on the other hand was impatient with all the absents. Sometimes, Christina wondered how they were twins. She saw the kids starting to walk over to the next animal, and had to jog to catch up. She could tell that Audrey was a little happier, but not happy enough.

"Hey Audrey!" called Christina. Audrey turned around and walked towards her.

"How about I let you call your mom and dad huh? Will that make you feel better?"

Audrey nodded her head. Christina smiled. She got out her cell phone and dialed Meredith's cell. She then handed it to Audrey.

"Hello?"

"Mommy?"

"Oh, hey hon, what's up? You kinda caught be at a bad time,"

"I'm sorry, but I wanted to spend the day with you. I like Aunt Crissy and all, but I miss you!"

"Awww baby I know. Look I was going to make this a surprise, but tonight, I'll cook your and Jacc's favorite food and then we'll watch your favorite movie. I'll even let you stay up late! Doesn't that sound fun?"

"Ya I guess,"

"Awww, I'm sorry hon. but I'm sure Aunt Crissy is doing the best she can. I'll see you in a little bit okay? I love you!"

"Love you too mom,"

"Okay, now let me talk to your Aunt Crissy,"

Audrey handed Christina the phone and went to catch up with her brother and friends.

"Mer you have no idea what it's like here. The kids have been sulking all day!"

"Really? Damn. They love the zoo though!"

"Ya, when you're here,"

"Hey, it wasn't my idea for us to split up!"

"Okay okay. Look is it alright if we go get some ice cream in a bit. I was going to drop them off in an hour,"

"Okay, Derek and I will be home,"

"Okay, I'll see ya in a little bit,"

"K, bye!"

Christina hung up the phone. She was glad that Audrey was in a better mood now. Now, she was being her usual chatterbox self. _Ha, see you are the best_-laughed Christina as she fought to keep up with the kids again.

---

"Who was that?" asked Derek as Meredith hung up the phone

"Audrey. She's not having much fun at the zoo. Christina is going to take them out for ice cream and then drop them off at the house in about an hour,"

Derek and Meredith were sitting in the cockpit of a ferryboat eating lunch. The day was cloudy but the sun was peaking out. Perfect, as Meredith called it. She looked down at her food and started to play with it.

"Mer…what's wrong?"

"Huh? Oh nothing. I was just daydreaming,"

Meredith smiled and then popped a pea into her mouth

"See fine!"

"Meredith Shepherd, you are not fine. Now what is up?"

Meredith sighed

"It's just that, we never get anytime with the kids. I was looking forward to today. Last time I had the day off, I was rushed into the hospital because I got the call about you. I shouldn't have taken Christina up on the offer. God I'm a bad mother,"

Derek leaned across the table and took hold of Meredith's hand.

"No you're not. You're just stressed. I mean what happened in the last two weeks is a lot. I mean I was gone for a month, left for you to raise the kids by your self and juggle a demanding job. Then I come back in a coma, and you perform surgery on me. The kids understand Mer. They don't like it, but they understand. I heard Jacc wants to become a surgeon. And Audrey, she'll get used to it. And look, I got about 2 weeks with them until I go back. I know it's hard and you love them. How about in a couple weeks we start a family tradition. How about every month it's Shepherd Family Fun Day. We do whatever the kids want to do. We turn off our pagers and have the whole day for our kids."

Meredith stared at Derek for a minute

"Seriously?"

"What?"

"Turn off our pagers?"

Derek laughed

"Okay, only if it's a 9-1-1 and it's a 20 car pile up,"

Meredith laughed

"Shepherd Family Fun Day. That sounds nice,"

Meredith leaned into Derek and kissed him

"I though you'd like it," said Derek when they pulled away

"No wonder I married you,"

Derek laughed as he took a sip of water. He watched Meredith look out the window.

"The boat is about to dock," she observed

"Mmmm, it is isn't it?"

"Don't go all sarcastic on me!" laughed Meredith "That's for Christina!"

Derek laughed.

A few minutes later, they were holding hands and exchange glances all the way to the car.

"What do you want to do tonight?" asked Derek as they climbed in the car

"Well, I was going to cook the kid's their favorite dinner then let them stay up late watching their favorite movie,"

"You cook? HA!"  
Meredith play hit Derek.

"Yes, why?"

"Well, I had something different in mind,"

"Well, not too late," she said "9, 9:30 at the latest. I got to be at work by 7,"

Derek smiled

"Why…what do you have planned?" asked Meredith interested, trying to focus on the road

"Oh nothing. Something along the lines of what we did last night," smiled Derek

Meredith laughed

"We'll see,"

They pulled up to a red light. Meredith turned on the radio, only to find The Clash playing.

"Oh God," she muttered

Derek automatically started to sing. Meredith tried to cover her ears, since Derek was singing way off pitch. Unfortunately, the light turned green. Derek looked over at Meredith, to see her cringe with a smile on her face. That only made him sing louder. Finally the song ended

"Awww, you know you love my singing?" asked Derek as they rounded the corner of the house

Meredith laughed as they pulled into the driveway. Both got out and started to head towards the door. As Meredith fumbled with the keys, Derek started to kiss the crevice of her neck.

"Derek," whinnied Meredith "The kids are going to be home!"  
"Damn," smiled Derek

Meredith turned to him and kissed him with a passion.

"There, that's all you get 'till tonight,"

Derek laughed as him and Meredith went into the house, holding each other, trying to hold off until that night.

----

Alex and Izzy were sitting in an Italian restaurant on the other side of town. The lunch was perfect. Alex had picked Izzy up from work, and took her downtown for lunch. All of this had taken by surprise of Izzy. Izzy was in the middle of her salad, when Alex stood up.

"Izzy, I love you. Since the first day I've met you, I couldn't get you out of my mind. When Denny came into the picture, I was jealous beyond belief. When you told me that I was half the man he was I was crushed and I knew you were right. The year of our internship I was the biggest ass on the planet. But I still loved you. Now I ask you Isobel Stevens…. Will you marry me?"

Izzy sat there in disbelief

"Are you serious?" was all she could say

Alex looked bewildered

"Yes. Izzy I love you. Now…will you marry me?"

Izzy leaned over and kissed Alex

"Yes, I will be honored to be Mrs. Karev!"

Alex jumped up and kissed Izzy with such a passion.

"I love you," whispered Alex

"I love you too," whispered Izzy.

Suddenly, everyone around the started to applaud. Izzy turned bright red. Suddenly the waiter came out with Sparkling White Wine.

"For the new-soon-to-be-wed couple," he said putting the wine down. Izzy looked back at Alex

"You, you planned all of this? For how long?"

"Ummm, over a month. I was too scared to do it. Everytime I would, I would chicken out. For some reason, today I knew was the day,"

"I'm glad you picked today,"

Izzy leaned in again and kissed Alex

"Oh, and yes you were an ass, but that's what I loved about you,"

"You learned didn't you?" asked Izzy

"What?"

"The first night you took me out. I have to say that that was one of the worst nights of my life. But in a good way. But you've learned to kiss me goodnight and whenever appropriate. Now you don't care if you do it in front of everyone,"

"I guessed I've learned," laughed Alex

"You know you've turned sweet," remarked Izzy. Alex shot her a look

"I'm going to forget that and just say I love you,"

Izzy laughed

"Alex, just shut up and kiss me,"

Alex smiled and kissed her like never before.

**_A/N: Well that last 2 chapters have been a span over the same day. Oh well he he. I figured out that I've been leaving Alex/Izzy out of the picture. They had been dating for a while so I thought this would be a good way to bring them back in. Just for a time frame it's like the End of July. School will be starting soon for them. Ne way…. I like this chapter. Especially the part about Shepherd Family Fun Day. Lol…. So let me know what you think PLZ! I LOVE REVIEWS AS YOU KNOW! SO MAKE ME HAPPY PLZ! Lol jk!_**


	10. Monday's

**Chapter 10: Monday's**

The moment Meredith opened her eyes, she regretted it. It was a Monday morning, and of course it raining. What's was new in Seattle? Meredith groaned as she turned over to look at the alarm clock. 5:45…15 minutes early. She tried to turn back over to get her extra 15 minutes in, but she failed. Instead, she turned and looked at Derek. He was facing her, eyes closed, and snoring very loudly. Meredith laughed. She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead before jumping out of bed and going into the bathroom for her morning shower. She turned the handles to hot and jumped in. The moment the water touched her body, she let out a long and easy breath. The hot water on her back always felt good even if she had to go back to work. Suddenly she felt a pair of hands on her waist. She spun around to see Derek standing behind her smiling.

"Don't do that," she teased

Derek laughed as she kissed her. When the pulled apart Meredith smiled.

"That woke me up," she commented

"Really? How about this?" Derek started to roam her body with his hands, but Meredith quickly stopped him

"Derek, not matter how much I want to I can't. I don't want to be late this morning and have Bailey yell at me. She still scares me you know,"

Derek laughed "She scares everyone Mer, but c'mon what can it hurt?"

He started to kiss her neck

"Derek Seriously!"

Derek stopped and looked into her eyes

"Fine," he said with a smile. Meredith couldn't help but smile back. She picked up her lavender-shampoo and started to massage it into her scalp.

"You don't have a surgery do you?" questioned Derek

"You never know. If I don't wash my hair with this, there will be a 10 car pile up and all 10 will die, just watch,"

Derek shrugged as Meredith rinsed and conditioned, then got out. She entered her room and did another check on time. 6 o'clock. _Okay maybe I could of done the shower sex thing, but he has to understand everytime I'm naked that doesn't invite him to have sex with me! _Meredith laughed at her thoughts.  
"What's so funny?" asked Derek as he came out of the master bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist

"Nothing," Meredith answered blushing. She turned away from his and pulled on her skinny jeans. She then decided to wear her favorite green long-sleeve shirt. She didn't know why, but she always loved that shirt. She had it ever since she was an intern, and still wore it every chance she got. That and her Dartmouth T. Instead of messing with heels, she slipped on a pair of flip-flops.

"Since when do you wear flip-flops? And in the rain?" asked Derek, this time fully clothed in jeans and a T-shirt.  
"Since I bought them a couple months ago," shot back Meredith laughing. Derek came over and kissed her.

"Works for me,"

Meredith smirked as she left the room at 6:15. Perfect, 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Maybe waking up early wasn't such a bad idea. Before she knew it, Meredith had kissed the twins and was out the door and on the highway listening to The Clash at 6:30. She sang along as she cruised along the highway with the windows down, not caring if she got wet. Her hair whipping in her face as she exited the highway and headed towards SGH just as the song ended. She pulled into her usual parking spot 5 minutes later. She stepped out and looked around. She saw Izzie's car about 10 spaces away and George's about 5 away from hers. Alex's was parked right next to Izzie's. Meredith looked around wondering where Christina was when she heard the roaring of her motorcycle. She smiled as she saw her best friend park right next to where Meredith was standing.

"You know if you would of hit me, you would be answering to Derek," laughed Meredith as Christina pulled off her helmet.

"Ya I'm really scared now!" Christina answered sarcastically. Both attending smiled as they walked through the front doors of SG. Meredith took a deep breath of the hospital air.

"Why do you always do that?" questioned Christina. Meredith shrugged

"I guess because it reminds me of what I'm here for and what I love to do."

Christina looked at Meredith and shook her head

"What?"

"I think the kids have turned you soft,"

"Oh and yours haven't?"

Christina had no answer to that as they stepped into an open elevator. Suddenly Meredith's phone and pager went off.

"Great," she muttered.

First she looked at her pager. 9-1-1…Trauma.

"Great, looks like some idiot got his head all smashed up because he was driving too fast again,"

"Hey, guarantee surgery," shrugged Christina. Meredith gave her a look and got out her phone. The caller ID flashed: DEREK. Meredith rolled her eyes and answered the phone

"Derek I just got paged for a 9-1-1 and I'm not even changed. What in the world could you possibly want?"

"Jacc wanted to tell you something,"

"Fine put him on,"

The elevator doors opened as Meredith rushed into the attending locker room with Christina closely behind her

"Jacc this isn't the right time I got to go. Can you tell me later?"

"I just wanted to remind you that today is the try-outs for soccer,"

Meredith slammed her head against the locker

"That's today isn't it?" she groaned

"Ya,"

"Okay I'll tell you what. If I don't have a surgery and if I don't get paged I'll come and watch. If not, I'm sure Daddy can call a taxi or Uncle George can take you,"

"Okay,"

"Okay I got to go…Trauma 9-1-1. I'll see you tonight,"

"Love you mom,"

"Love you too sweetie,"

Meredith hung up when her pager reminded her of her patient.

"SHEPHERD TRAUMA NEEDS YOU!" yelled Bailey

"I'M GOING!"

Meredith quickly threw off her clothes and threw on her navy scrubs. She ran out the door, trying to put on her shoes

"See ya later Chris!" she called

Christina laughed at the sight of her friend leaving the locker room.

Meredith ran down the hallway and into the ER's trauma section.

"DR. SHEPHERD WHERE WERE YOU?"

"Well if you don't mind Dr. Tanzley I would like to get dressed in the morning. Unless you want me to do surgery in jeans and in flip-flops. I'm sure the Chief would love that. My shift didn't even start when I got paged. But I'm here now. So what do we got?"

Meredith looked down at the patient.

"35 year old male, car accident, severe head trauma" recited one of the interns on duty.

"Okay, get him a CT and MRI and page me when you get the results,"

"Yes Dr. Shepherd,"

Meredith looked at the chart the scribbled her signature and handed it over to the intern. Suddenly another ambulance came in.

"DR. SHEPHERD!" yelled a nurse

God Dammit, looks like this will be a long day 

Meredith sighed as she ran over to the next patient, not knowing that the person laying on the gurney, was someone who was part of her past.

**_A/N: Okay, so you guys probably know who it is….but you may be wrong. DUN DUN DAAAA! Lol jk. So I've been writing less and less lately. Mostly b/c I want to update…but writer's block. So next chapter will show Derek at home with the kids...can u say Mr. Mom? lol...okay you'll also find out.who the mysterious patient is, and maybe a little Addison. So REVIEW SO I CAN GET MORE UP!_**


	11. Hard News

**Chapter 11: Hard News**

Izzy sat at the nurse's desk, scribbling her name on charts, and trying to think. She wanted to tell everyone about her and Alex, but she didn't know how. Leaning back she closed her eyes. She let out a satisfying sigh. How good it felt to get a few seconds of sleep. A smile crept across her face. She had been smiling less lately since Addison was on leave with Mark in Portland for a consult.Addison had dumped all her patients on Izzy since she was next in command. The night before was the first free night that Izzy had in FOREVER, and she got a big surprise. A surprise that she knew would later accumulate with stress. But it was fun stress right? Izzy couldn't think of a better way to have stress then to have stress over her wedding. Her beeper interrupted Izzy's "sleep". She sighed an angry sigh and picked it up from the desk.

Meeting Room 4…Urgent…NOW! -Mer 

Izzy was confused. _What the hell could Mer possibly want in Meeting Room 4? _Izzy thought. Izzy got up with an angry "huff" and headed towards the elevator and Meeting Room 4.

-----

"In just a second I will be entering the left Artery and hopefully remove this guy's tumor,"

George was looking through his magnifying glasses and into his patient's heart. Since he wasn't one of the top Cardio surgeons at SG, like Burke and Christina, he got the small minor procedures. But, Bambi didn't mind though. He like operating small procedures and teaching residents and interns. But sometimes he wished he could do the big stuff like Burke and Christina. But now wasn't the time to worry.

"Dr. O'Malley…BP is dropping," said one of the nurses

"Shit okay, I'm almost done,"

"100/60 and dropping Dr."

"SHIT…uh _medical medical_,"

George worked as fast as he could trying to save the guy

"It's not working! He's flat lining!"

"Dammit! _Medical medical _his _medical_!"

There was a faint sound of the flat line. George kept on trying to save him, but it was no use. He ripped off his mask in frustration.

"Time of death 9:42,"

George walked out of his OR fuming. Burke and Christina met him in the scrub room.

"You did everything you could O'Malley," reassured Burke

"It wasn't good enough though. DAMMIT it was a textbook procedure too,"

"George,"

"NO DON'T! If it was either one of you two, he would be alive right now, but no, he has to die on me….little 'ol BAMBI!"

"George"

"Don't even Christina. I don't want to hear it!"

George tried to walk past both of them, but he was pulled back by Burke

"O'Malley, patients die. It's not your fault. Get over it! Now Meredith wants us in Meeting Room 4 NOW!"

Burke turned and left leaving George shocked. Christina shrugged

"He's right," she turned and left. When the door closed behind her, George turned and punched the wall with his fist.

"DAMMIT…..OWWW!"

-----

Meredith was pacing the meeting room waiting for everyone to show up. She had paged everyone she knew and yet, they still haven't showed.

"Mer, can't you just tell us?" asked Izzy  
Izzy, Alex, Calli, Emily, and the Chief were already in there waiting as patiently as possible.

"No…EVERYONE has to be here. I've already repeated this twice, I don't want to do it again except for now," snapped Meredith. Izzy just nodded her head and went back to watching her pace, not opening her mouth. Suddenly the door opened and everyone else came in. After they all settled, Meredith took a deep breath.

"Okay, you're all probably wondering why I called you away from your patients or what not, but you guys need to hear this. Mark, Addison, and Derek have all been notified so don't worry. All that is left is you guys,"

Meredith closed her eyes. When she opened them, she looked around her and at everyone in the room. They all looked worried, and she knew in the next thirty seconds, everything was going to change. Meredith took another deep breath and continued.

"As you all know, it's raining outside, and when there's rain, there is always the dumb ass who goes and crashes and get admitted here with either head trauma, heart trauma or maybe even both,"

Meredith stopped and took another breath.

"Well, one member of our SG "family" was involved in a serious crash,"

Meredith looked around. She could tell that they were all hanging onto her every word. Meredith continued.

"Dr. Miranda Bailey was hit by a drunk driver running a red light at 100 mph this morning at approximately 7:42. She was admitted here at 7:52 a.m."

Suddenly the room erupted

"WHAT? WHY ARE YOU NOW TELLING US?"

"IS SHE OKAY?"

"BAILEY? OUR BAILEY? THE ONE KNOWN AS _THE NAZI_?"

"SHUT UP!" yelled Meredith. The room didn't need to be told twice.

"Yes, Bailey. The one which most of us spent our internship being yelled at. The only reason I'm telling you guys this now is because I had to run some tests on her. Right now she's stable, but here in a few minutes I'm about to go into OR 5 and try to save her life. I just thought you guys needed to know this. Right now she has severe bleeding on her frontal lobe, and some that might paralyze her. If I don't go now, she might die. I just wanted to tell you guys before I go. So there you go, and if you don't mind I need to leave,"

Meredith left the room with mixed emotions. That was one of the hardest things that she had ever done. Once she was out of the room, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath then started to head down to save one of her favorite staff member, and a family member.

**_A/N: Okay….you guys are probably screaming: I HATE YOU! But I'm sorry. You have no idea how hard this was to write! Now I swear on music (since I don't swear to God) my chapters will be longer. This was a REALLY short chapter, but I thought you guys needed to know who it was. I promise next will have the surgery, Derek/ Mr. Mom, Addison/Mark, and maybe some other people. So there you go. I was going to do Mark since I did Finn last story…but I was like "no one has done Bailey…I think I will do her,". Did I kinda give it away? TELL ME WHAT YOU GUSY THINK OF MY DECISION._**


	12. Stress

**Chapter 12: Stress**

Izzy, George, Christina, Burke, Addison, Mark, Derek, Audrey, Jaccob, The Chief, Emily, Olivia, and every other surgeon in SGH was pacing the waiting room for Meredith and her team to get out of the OR. She had been in surgery for over 4 hours, and they were all getting nervous. Finally the elevators doors opened. Meredith exited, still with her surgery "clothes". She pulled off her surgery cap as she walked over to everyone. Derek stepped forward and gave her a hug.

"Hey," he whispered in her ear

Meredith pulled away and gave him a weak smile. She then walked over to the Chief.

"Meredith?" he asked.

Meredith looked up at him.

"Well, her injuries are extensive. But,"

Meredith looked around. Everyone was hanging onto her every word.

"I managed to get the majority of the blood clots out. She's in the ICU now recovering. Needless to say, her first surgery was a success. But she will need more,"

Everyone sighed a sigh or relief. The Chief hugged her

"Thank you Mer,"

"Chief, she's the freakin Nazi. It would be strange not to hear her voice 2 hallways away,"

Everyone laughed a nervous laugh. Derek hugged Meredith again. She then bent down and hugged her kids.

"Hey kiddos. Mommy's had a long day. What do you say we go home and watch your favorite movie huh?"

The kids hugged their mom and Meredith straightened up.

"I've got an intern watching her every move. I'll be calling in periodically to check in. Olivia, if you don't mind, I'd like you to stay with her too." Olivia nodded and left the group. "And if you guys don't mind, I'm going to go change and go home."

Meredith smiled and walked back towards the elevator. She stepped into the elevator, as well did Christina, Izzy, and Addison. Meredith smiled.

"Guys, I'm fine. Just tired,"

"You've been through a lot this past month," Addison pulled her into a hug.

"We've all been through a lot this week," Izzy joined the hug.

"Eh, why not?" Christina joined the bear hug group. The group laughed as they headed up to the Resident's Locker Room.

------

"Mer's really been through a lot hasn't she?"

"Mmmm. She has,"

Mark and Addison were leaving the hospital and were heading towards their apartment.

"Raising two kids, having a husband that's on leave, and being called in for all these surgeries. It's hard to believe that this was the same Meredith Grey that was scared and broken huh?"

"She's Meredith Shepherd now Mark. And not really. She's still kinda scared and broken. Just not as much,"

Mark looked over at Addison.

"Addie, what's wrong?"

"Nothing,"

Addison didn't look at Mark, but out the window of the car.  
"Addie,"

Addison sighed.

"I don't know. Meredith has the life I never got with Derek. She's a world-renowned surgeon. She has Dr. McDreamy as her husband of 7 years, and also has two kids. Derek could never give me that. And then him getting injured and now Bailey. Don't you see what's happening Mark? One by one the staff is getting hurt. It won't be long before it's one of us. And when it is, maybe this time Dr. Miracle Shepherd can't fix us up Mark. I'm scared."

Mark pulled Addison into a hug (luckily it was a red light).

"Addie, I promise nothing more is nothing going to happen. I don't know what's going on, but it's not going to last. So what if Derek couldn't give you what you wanted? You have me now. I can give you whatever you want. Addison Montgomery, I love you."

Addison looked into Mark's eyes.  
"For some reason I don't believe a word that you said. The light's green."

Mark sighed as he continued to drive. He drove in silence for the next 15 minutes.

"Then what do you want Addie?" Mark asked finally turning into the apartment parking lot and parked. Mark turned to Addison, who was still looking out the window. She finally turned to Mark.

"I want to go to bed and pretend that these last 20 years to be a dream Mark. I want to wake up from this nightmare. I regret sleeping with you. I regret coming to Seattle. I regret marrying Derek. Mark, I just want to erase my life, and start over with you. Not Derek...you."

Addison's eyes were filling up with tears. Mark reached over and held her.

"I know this must be hard. I'm sorry, but I wish I could have a magic eraser, but I don't Addie. But what I do have is this,"

Mark pulled a small box out of his pocket. Addison let out a small gasp.

"I know this isn't a eraser. But it's the closest thing I have,"

Addison stared at Mark.

"Mark. I-I don't know what to say. I-I can't accept this. At least not now. Can we just go up and go to sleep. I'll sleep on the couch tonight," Addison looked into Marks' eyes. "But, give me time. What has happened in the last month is a shock. But…I love you too Mark." Addison kissed Mark lightly on the lips. She smiled and got out of the car leaving Mark staring at the ring, wondering what he did wrong.

----

Meredith fell asleep on the car ride home. Christina offered to drive the Shepherd family home and Burke was following them, so Chistina would have a way to get home. She looked over at Meredith. She looked peaceful with her head up against the window sleepling.

"Now you know what I wake up to every morning," commented Derek. Christina looked in the rearview mirror to see Derek smiling at her.

"Uh huh. And if you saw Burke sleeping, would you expect me to say the same?"

Derek laughed

"No, because that would just be weird,"

"Thank you, now shut up and go back to sleep,"

"I was never asleep,"

"Well maybe you should,"

"Why?"

"Because you're giving me a headache,"

"Well maybe I should treat it,"

"You will if you shut up,"

Derek and Christina laughed as Derek looked out the window. He felt his daughter's head on his lap. He looked down and started to stoke her hair. Christina looked back and smiled.

"You look so harmless when you do that. I can't believe that you hurt Meredith and then brought these kids life,"

Derek looked up.

"I can't believe it either. Trust me, if I could, I'd erase Addison, and just jump to Meredith,"

"So you guys didn't have any 'chemistry' did you?"

Derek sighed

"At the beginning yes. Then she couldn't have kids, and I really wanted kids. I went into a deep depression. Worked late. Tried to avoid her every chance I got. Seeing Mark in bed with her opened my eyes. When I came here, I found a new window of opportunities. I found the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I don't know why I didn't sign the papers that day. I wanted to try to make Meredith understand what I had before and that I wanted to try to make it work. I didn't know then how much I loved her and how much I was out of love with Addison. But that just matters worse. I've always loved Meredith, and I always will,"

Christina smiled as she pulled into their driveway right when Meredith woke up.

"Are you telepathic or something?" asked Christina

Meredith laughed

"I know the way home so well, I knew where we were at, at all times. And I heard you two talk. I was asleep, but in light sleep. Derek, I love you too and I always will, but you got some explaining to do," Meredith smiled at Derek. He laughed. Christina rolled her eyes.

"Well you guys are home. I guess I'll see ya tomorrow at work Mer?"

"I guess," Christina hugged her friend, waved good bye, and ran over to Burke. Derek came over to Meredith, holding Audrey, and Jacc's hand. Meredith smiled. She took Audrey into her arms and headed up to the house. She opened the door and gently laid her daughter on the couch. She went straight towards the kitchen and poured her self-a large cup of Tequila.

"Hey," sighed Derek as he walked in. Meredith nodded her acknowledgement and took another swing.

"Mer, do you really think you need to be drinking that,"

"Derek, I just operated on Miranda Bailey. I think I deserve this," she took another swing. Derek shrugged as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He watched Meredith get herself drunk. Finally she collapsed in a fit of tears. Derek came over and hugged her.  
"I'm so stressed. First you, then Bailey. What if it's Christina, or Izzy, or you it's you again? And this time, I can't mend it. Derek I'm scared! Then I hear you talking to Christina. Derek you broke me. Then you confess to her why you didn't sign the papers. Derek, you tell her before you tell me! I'm your wife! Derek…I…"

Meredith wanted to punch Derek, but instead she collapsed in his arms.

"Shhhhhhh. It's okay Meredith. You're just stressed. I'm sorry for what I did. I love you, and you understand that. What happened today was a lot. I don't think you should go in tomorrow, but if you want to go. But Meredith, understand that I really and truly love you and everything that you do and say. I would never regret a moment that I married you."

Meredith looked up into his eyes. She broke away after a few seconds.

"I-I gotta call Dr. Uinks," Meredith left the kitchen, trying to wipe away her tears away. Derek watched his scared and broken wife walk away. _At least she's in the making of being put back together. _Derek sighed and drank the rest of his coffee, before going to put his kids to bed.

**_A/N: Long chapter YA! Don't get me wrong...Addison and Meredith are friends. Just that day was a lot to take in. More to come soon! Hope you enjoyed it!_**


	13. News

**Chapter 13: News**

Derek woke up the next morning to an empty bed. He cursed himself knowing Meredith was mad at him. Reluctantly he got up, trying to shake the tiredness off. He hated being away from work. He loved the feeling of saving lives. Of being in control of the OR and the interns. But most of all, he loved seeing Mer doing what she loved to do. He turned on the water faucets and jumped in. He let out a slow and easy breath as the hot water ran down his back. He closed his eyes, trying to forget his troubles, but he couldn't. Without looking, he reached down randomly for a bottle of shampoo. Looking up, he saw that he grabbed Meredith's. Looking at it for a second, he squirted some into his hand and massaged it into his scalp, then rinsed. The smell of Lavender filled the shower. He took in the smell. He could feel Meredith's presence, even though she wasn't there. He sighed. Why did he have to tell Christina before Meredith? Why did he have to take advantage of his wife "sleeping" to let out his feelings to her best friend? He wanted to run to the hospital and apologize, but he couldn't. Derek finished the shower and hopped out. Grabbing some clothes he walked out of the bedroom and down the hall. He was trying to think about how to make it up to Meredith. He poked his head into Audrey's room. She was sound asleep hugging her pillow. For a moment, he considered waking her up, but then decided to let her sleep. We walked onto Jacc's room. Derek poked his head in, to see an empty bed. Rolling his eyes he walked downstairs to see his son watching cartoons on the TV.

"Jaccob," Derek said, as he snuck up on his son. Jacc jumped practically 2 feet in the air hearing his dad's voice.

"DAD!"

Derek laughed as he joined his son on the couch.

"So whatcha watching?"

"Cartoons," was all that Jacc said.

"I can see that,"

Jacc shrugged "You asked a question and I answered it,"

"Smart ass,"

"DAD!"

Derek laughed as he got up

"You have breakfast?"

"Orange Juice,"  
"Jaccob you know that's not enough. C'mon I'll cook ya French Toast,"

Derek walked towards the kitchen as his son followed.

"Do you know what time your mother left?"

"I know her shift started around 8. But I think she left around 6," answered Jaccob sitting at the island.

_Why did she leave so early? Did she get a page about Bailey?_ Derek got out the pans and started to cook breakfast.

"Are you and mom mad at each other?"

Derek looked back at his son. He was leaning up against one hand watching him cook.

"Uh….no….why do you ask son?"

"Because I heard you two yelling last night,"  
"We weren't yelling,"

"When two people raise their voices dad, that's considered yelling,"

"You know you are becoming a smart ass just like your mother,"  
"Dad!"

Derek sighed and laughed.

"Your mother was just stressed. A lot has happened in the past month. And what I did didn't help. We weren't yelling, but your mother wasn't particularly happy with me,"

Derek set two pieces of French Toast on a plate and slid it over to his son as he popped two more pieces of toast into the toaster just as Audrey came in.

"Good morning sleepy head," welcomed Derek. Audrey groaned as he climbed up on the stool.

"French Toast princess?"

"Sure,"

Derek smiled. He loved spending time with his kids.

"So Jacc, you want to kick the ball around today in the back yard?"

"Can we?"

Derek smiled and Jacc's face lit up. Derek laughed.

"And what do you want to do today Audrey?"

Audrey shrugged and Derek laughed.

"You wanna play a game of chess later?"

"I guess," Audrey took a bite of her French Toast.  
"Aud what's wrong? You're acting like your mother,"  
Audrey shrugged.

"I think I'll go get dressed,"

Audrey jumped down from her half-eaten breakfast and walked out of the kitchen. Derek watched her leave.  
"Do you know what's wrong with her?" asked Derek to Jaccob

"Dad, you of all people should know that even though we're twins, we can't read each other's mind. I'm going to go set up the net,"

Jaccob jumped down too and headed towards the back door leaving Derek to clean up the morning breakfast.

-----

Meredith sat down at the old intern lunch table and started to pick at her food. A lot had happened that morning. Right when she had walked through the front doors, the intern on duty had pages her to tell her that Bailey had woken up. Since then, every free time she got, she was checking up on her. Meredith was now debating whether to tell Derek or not.

"So you going to tell him?"

"I don't know,"

Meredith looked up to see Christina sitting down next to her.

"You want me to do it?"

"Not really,"

"C'mon Mer your not mad at me are you?"

"Not as much as I am at Derek…but I'm not really happy,"

Christina punctured her lettuce with her fork. Meredith sighed. She pulled out her cell phone and stared at it.

"Meredith just do it,"

Meredith gave Christina a look. "Fine,"

She flipped it open and dialed the house number. She sat there, praying that the answering machine will pick it up, but unfortunately it didn't.

"Hello?"

"Uh, Derek?"

"MER!"

"Derek, I'm going to make this quick. Granted, I'm still not happy with you. Christina is sitting here across from me so I'm going to just say this and hang up,"

"I understand Mer,"

"Okay. We'll, I just wanted to say that Bailey woke up today,"

"Really? That's great!"  
"Ya, so if you could tell the kids I would really appreciate it,"

"No problem Meredith. Hey I'll see ya later. What time does your shift end?"

"It's a 12 hour so around 8."  
"Okay Baby, I'll see ya tonight,"

"Okay. Bye,"

"I love you Meredith,"

"L-Love you too Derek,"

Meredith hung up the phone and stared at Christina.

"That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, and I perform freakin brain surgery,"

"Shut up Mer. You love him,"  
"Ya. I really do,"

Meredith's pager went off

"I'll see ya later,"  
"Okay, bye Mer,"

Meredith gave Christina a weak smile and walked away, with thoughts of Derek running through her mind.

-----

Izzy sat in the nursery examining her ring. She was going to tell everyone about the news, but since Bailey came in with her emergency, her news got postponed. _Don't get me wrong. I was scared to death when Bailey comes in. But for once I want to be happy. For once I want to be the one in the center of attention. Not Meredith…me. I'm so selfish. _Izzy kept on looking at her ring that she didn't hear the door open.

"Izz?"

Izzy shot up to see George standing in the doorway.

"George! You scared me!"

George laughed.  
"Wow! I think Jeremy might be rubbing off on me,"

Izzy laughed. She wouldn't look George in the eye. Instead she looked around at all the babies. One of them started to cry. She got up and walked over to it, trying to comfort him.

"Izzy, what's wrong,"

"He started crying," she said matter-of-factly. "When a baby cries George, it means somethings wrong,"

George came over and took the baby out of her hands

"I don't mean the baby Izzy. Something's wrong with you,"

Izzy looked at him. Tears started to well up in her eyes.

"What about me George? Huh? First Mer gets broken and she's repaired, married, and has twins. Then Christina gets married, has a baby. A year later has another one. Then you. You get marred to Callie, then have Jeremy. Then Derek gets admitted and it's like the hospital stopped. Now Bailey. George something great happened to me the day before Bailey was admitted. But I've never got the chance. For once George, I want people to adore me. I want people to notice me. For once I want to be a Meredith!"

Izzy collapsed into George's arms.

"I'm sorry. I'm so selfish,"

George hugged Izzy with all his might.

"No you're not Izzy. You're one of the most caring people I know. And you're right. All of us need a time to be a 'Meredith'. When Denny was here 8 years ago, we thought this was your time. But then your time was blown up. So no you're not being selfish. Now, I'm here. What's the news?"

Izzy smiled.

"I love you George. Not in the 'I want you to marry you' kind of way. In a way that you're like a brother to me. You're my big brother Bambi,"

George laughed.

"Thanks, I think."

Izzy laughed.

"I would really like to tell you, but I rather show you,"

George broke away, looking confused. Izzy smiled and held up her left hand. George let out a gasp.

"Oh Izzy! Alex?"

Izzy smiled and nodded. George pulled her into another hug.

"I'm sooooo happy for you! Really I am. You guys are meant for each other. C'mon we need to tell everyone!"

George took hold of Izzy's hand and dragged her over the nearest nurse's station. They paged everyone the knew one simple message:

_Great News! It involves one of "us" and a ring. Meeting Room 3 to find out- GI._

**_A/N: As I was writing this, I saw a commercial for the new SEASON PREMIERE FOR GA! 4 DAYS! 4 MORE DAYS! I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED! Okay I'm done. God my life is like revolving around GA. Jk…I got school….and hw that I haven't done, but shout it's not due till Tuesday! Lol. Okay so I added some Mr. Mom in here and Izzy's news. It had to get out some way and I like the way I did it. So nxt chapter will be up sometime this wk!_**


	14. Messes

**Chapter 14: Messes**

_**A/N: I've changed my Pen name as you might have noticed. I think mcobsessed fits better. But I do love books! So here is the long awaited Chapter 14!**_

-----

"Seriously? I mean seriously?"

"Christina calm down!"

"You want me to calm down? She pulled me away from freakin surgery to tell me that her and Evil Spawn are getting married!"  
"Oh okay, well you have a right to be mad then,"

"Damn right I do!"

Christina and Burke were walking away from the Meeting Room. They had just been told that Izzy and Alex were engaged and to say the least, Christina wasn't happy for them.

"Well can you do the surgery now?"

Christina gave him a 'shut-up' look.

"Okay. Look just calm down. Deep breath. In and out"

"Burke,"

"Yes?"

"Shut up!"

Christina turned and started to walk towards OR 2. Burke sighed. _No wonder I love her. _

"Preston!"

Burke was snapped from his daydream by Meredith's voice.

"Hey Mer. It's great that Izzy and Alex are finally tying the knot. I'm kinda surprised that they were the last ones to do it,"

Burke and Meredith were walking towards the elevator.

"Ya, surprising. Hey are you doing anything right now?" asked Meredith obviously sidetracked.

"I was going to check up on some patients and terrorize some interns. Why?" answered Burke with a chuckle.

"Oh, well I was thinking if you weren't busy, could you call Derek and tell him the good news?"

Both attending stepped into an empty elevator.

"Why don't you call him?"

The doors closed and Burke pressed the 3rd floor button.

"Because, I'm not really talking to him,"

Meredith leaned up against the rail.

"Mer, you can't hold this against him. He slipped. Get over it. You got two kids at home, who are going to figure out that you're mad at him. They're not stupid. They got the two best neurosurgeons as parents,"

The doors dinged open.

"Ya but-"

"Call him yourself,"

Burke smiled at Meredith before going to opposite way. Meredith rolled her eyes. She took out her cell phone. It was 1:52. She'll call him at 3. Meredith turned the corner, planning to go tell Bailey what had just happened.

----

Emily sat in the cafeteria alone. She picked at her food as she stared off into space. She couldn't believe what was happening. _Am I beginning to grow apart from them? I mean just because I decided to go into Ped's and not "grown-up" surgery, does that mean I'm not part of the family anymore? _She looked up to see George and Callie walking into the cafeteria. She tried to catch their eye, but they seemed to be too deep into conversation. Emily sighed and got up. A lone tear ran down her cheek. _Fine, if they don't notice me, then I guess I'll have to make myself be noticed. _Emily started to walk out of the cafeteria. She walked right by George and Calli just to see if they saw her, but they didn't even blink. They were too busy laughing. At that moment, Emily ran out of the cafeteria and tried to find the nearest on-call room. Little did she know someone did notice her, and was determined to follow her to see what was wrong.

------

"Good one Jacc. Now let's try over here!"

Derek was playing goalie for Jaccob out in the backyard. Both were sweating like crazy. They had been outside for over 2 hours, and yet neither one of them were tired.

"Dad, shouldn't you take it easy? If mom every found out-"

"Just kick the ball Jacc. Mom's not here. You want to be captain don't you?"

Jaccob shrugged as he lined up. Stepping back, he kicked the ball into the upper left corner of the net. Derek dove, but missed. He hit the ground hard. Suddenly a deep pain hit him.

"OWWWWWWWW!"

"DAD!"

Jaccob ran over to Derek and kneeled next to him.

"AUDREY! GET THE PHONE!"

Jaccob tried to feel a pulse. There was one, but faint.

"Okay…. oh my god"

Jaccob was trying to remember what to do. He had heard his parents talk over it many times before, but for some reason, he couldn't remember.

"Here,"

Audrey running out and handed Jaccob the phone.

"Do you know what to do?"

"Is there a pulse?"

"Barley,"

"Um…splash some cold water on him,"

Jaccob got up and fetched his water bottle. He squeezed some on his dad's face. A moment later, Derek's eyes flickered open.

"Jacc? Aud?"

"Dad!" whispered Audrey

"Call-Call Uncle Richard for me please,"

Derek was about to loose consciousness again.

"DAD NO!"

Derek's eyes fell closed again.

"Jaccob help me lift dad and carry him over to the swing," said Audrey, trying not to panic.

Jaccob looked nervous, but did what his sister said. After many groans, they managed to drag Derek over to the backyard swing. Then Jaccob dialed Richard's cell number.

"Hello?"

"Un-Uncle Richard?"

"Jaccob? Is that you? Why are you calling my cell phone?"

"It's…It's my dad. He was playing with me and fell. He has a pulse but barley. He sprayed some water on him and he woke up, but he lost consciousness again. Please help us!"  
Jaccob was now in tears.

"Shhh, everything is going to be fine. Look, I'm going to send your mom-"

"NO! Don't send her! They're already fighting as it is!"

"Okay okay. Look….just hang tight. I'll be there in less then 5 minutes. I want you to get some stuff for me okay? Get lots of water, a blanket, and every kind of medicine in your house okay?"

"Okay,"

"Good. Like I said, I'll be there shortly. Don't worry, you're dad is going to be fine. If he wakes up, make him drink water. I don't care how much he resists, MAKE HIM drink the water. You understand?"

"Yes,"

"Okay good. I'll see you in a couple of minutes okay?"

"Okay,"

Jaccob hung up the phone and turned towards Audrey.

"Well?"

"Uncle Richard is coming. He says get blankets, water, and every kind of medicine we have,"

"Okay I'll do that. You stay with dad,"

Jaccob nodded as he watched his sister run into the house. Jaccob knelt beside Derek.

"Dad….please don't die,"

Jaccob began to cry. He was crying so hard , he didn't even hear Derek's cell phone ring.

**_A/N 2: WASN'T THE SEASON PREMIRE THE BEST GA EPISODE EVVVVVVVVVVVVVER! "You're an ass, you're lived! And you've got the hair!"—George to Derek in the Locker room! HA! Okay. As you guys might have recognized, that last sentence by Jacc was from S3. When Christina is on Burke's bed in the end. Okay back to real life. I know I haven't updated in like over a week, but I've had a MAJOR writers block. This is kinda a filler chapter. As you can see Jaccob is the sensitive one and Audrey doesn't like to show her feelings. But don't worry Derek's fine. He just over did it, with the surgery and everything. I've been hurting everyone haven't I? Don't worry, my "hurting" days are over for a while! Lol. Also, I haven't mentioned Emily at all, so I put her in there. So, ya. Not that long, but like I said…WRITER'S BLOCK! Next chapter, I hope will be up soon!_**


	15. Confronations

**Chapter 15: Confrontations**

"Grey if you enter this room one more time today, I will get up and hurt you!"

Meredith laughed as she walked into Bailey's room. She had just hung up the phone, after trying to call Derek 5 times. Finally she gave up, and was ready for some comforting.

"I know, but you are my favorite resident,"

"Uh huh. When will you realize that I'm an attending now Grey?"

"When you stop calling me 'Grey'. When will you realize that I'm married with two kids? And anyway you'll always be the terrorizing Nazi resident in my eyes Bailey,"

"It's Dr. Bailey to you Grey,"

Meredith rolled her eyes as she help up the flashlight

"When can I get out of this place?"

"If all goes well tomorrow," answered Meredith as she put away her flashlight

"Thank god!"

Meredith let out a small chuckle. After recording her data onto Bailey's chart, Meredith flopped down in the nearest chair,

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing,"

"Seriously? Grey I've known you since day 1 and that was over 15 years ago. I've seen you broken, replaced, broken again, and replaced again. Don't tell me that fool broke your heart again!"

Meredith looked over to her old resident. She couldn't lie to her.

"No 'broke my heart' persa but, he did hurt me,"

"What did that fool do?"

Meredith sighed

"It's so miniscule, that I don't know why I'm getting all worked up about it, but…he told Christina. He told her why he picked Addison and not me. He told her why he did everything with her and not me. He told her while I was 'sleeping' right next to him in the car for god sakes! He could at least told her while I was 'sleeping' in the house, but no, he had to tell her while I was 'sleeping'"

"And you weren't sleeping?"

"No!"

Bailey sighed.

"Meredith, I've always cared about you. When you were that scrawny little intern, trying to piece everything back together with him and McVet…is that what you called him?"

Meredith nodded with a smiled

"Okay, well….I wanted to help you. I really did. But I figured that you needed to do it on your own. You had gotten into this mess, and I knew that you could get yourself out. 3 weeks ago, when Derek was admitted here, I saw that love that you had for him. You didn't want anything to happen to him. You didn't want anyone else to operate on him except you. I knew, when I saw that, that after those long 15 or so years, that I did the right thing. Meredith, he made a mistake. He's going to do that. He's a freaking man! But he does love you. Maybe he told Yang first because he wanted to 'rehearse' it. He hadn't talked about it in over 15 years, and now he was ready to. Respect that. Respect that he wanted to say the right thing to the person that he loves most in his life,"

Meredith had teas running down her cheeks.

"You're right. I'm the dumbass here that's worrying about. I'm being stupid aren't I?"

"No, you just care,"

Meredith looked at Bailey

"You've gone soft,"

Bailey laughed

"That may be so, but I'm still the 'Nazi'!"

This time Meredith laughed.

"Thanks Miranda,"  
"No problem Mer,"

Meredith hugged Bailey and started to leave the room

"Oh and Grey?"

"Yes?"

"Don't come into this room again,"

"Whatever you say Dr. Bailey, whatever you say,"

-----

"Derek? Derek? Can you hear me? DEREK?"

Richard was standing over Derek trying to get him to wake up

"Wh-what? What happened?"

Richard let out a sigh of relief

"You over did it. Even if your surgery was over 2 weeks ago, you over did it. Derek, you need to rest! No playing soccer to wear your heart is over pumping too much blood to your head. You should know that! You're a freakin brain surgeon!"  
Derek laughed as he tried to stand up

"Oh no you don't. You're staying right here in bed. You're under bed arrest until I say so!"

Derek looked shocked

"What about the kids?"

"They're grown but if it's REALLY important you can leave this bed unless to move to the kitchen, bedroom, living room, or to assist your kids. Otherwise I want you either lying down here or on the couch. You hear?"

Derek rolled his eyes

"DEREK!"  
"Okay okay fine! I won't move!"

Richard laughed

"God you're just as stubborn as Meredith!"

Derek joined in on the laughter

"No disrespect Chief, but she owns that title by herself. I think their calling her the 'Nazi 3.0'"

Both men laughed

"Why am I not surprised. But Derek, I will be telling her about this,"

Derek sighed

"Could you not? She's already mad at me, that will just make it worse,"  
Richard gave Derek a 'what-did-you-do-now?' look,

"I told Christina the reason I choose Addison and not her 15 years ago when I thought she was 'sleeping' in the car"

"And she wasn't was she?"

Derek shook his head

"Derek, you've got to think sometimes. You can't just get away with you're charm. I'm hoping that you plan to do something about it. But in the meantime I have to tell her about today's incident. You do know that?"

Derek nodded

"Good, now like I said, unless you're moving to go to the bathroom, cook, or to lie down on the couch, I don't want you out of this bed!"  
"What ever you say Chief,"

Richard laughed and started to head towards the door

"Hey Chief! I know this is kinda random but when are you planning to retire?"

Richard sighed

"At the end of the month. Adele needs me. And, I think it's time. I should of retired when Meredith and all her other 'suck-ups' become attending, but I didn't. Now it's time,"

Derek nodded

"I'm sure Burke will do a great job,"

"Derek, you're not mad are you?"

Derek sighed

"At first I was, but then I understood. My life is too messed up to have the weight of the hospital on me. Burke can handle it, but I can't. I think you made the right choice,"

"Thanks Derek,"

"No problem Chief,"

Richard started to head towards the door

"Thanks Richard, for everything,"  
"No problem Derek,"

Derek leaned back into the pillows as he heard Richard leave. For the first time all day, Derek was smiling; knowing everything was going to be all right.

----

"Hey,"

"What? Oh hey,"

George looked up from his patient's chart when he heard Callie greet him. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and returned to his work

"It there something wrong George?"

"What? No, there's nothing wrong…why?"

"You seem distracted,"

George looked at Callie and smiled

"Well, I am at work, and I do have patients, but when I see you, a new meaning of distraction comes to mind,"

Callie rolled her eyes

"You're just saying that,"

"Call, I'm not. Now what's on your mind. You've got my full undivided attention,"

George put his hands up like walls and directed them towards her

"Stop!" she squealed laughing. George put his hands down and laughed.

"Okay now seriously, what's on your mind?"

"Well one of two things. First I need a consult and second what do you want to do tonight,"

George smiled

"Okay, I will be more than happy to be your consult and I was thinking we could get a babysitter and go out tonight,"

George crept in closer and started to kiss Callie. She pulled apart and smiled

"Okay that sounds great. And…. I was actually asking for Burke or Christina. It's kinda severe,"

George looked at her in disbelief,

"SERIOUSLY? I mean seriously Callie? I'm just as good as they are! Just because I'm not top 2 in the country doesn't mean I'm not good! Damn it why don't people understand that,"  
Callie stepped away,  
"Okay George just calm down. Forget it okay. C'mon I'll show you the patient and see what you think okay? I'm sorry if I offended you. I really am,"

George sighed then a small smile crept across his face

"I'm sorry too. Will you still go out with me tonight?"

Callie rolled her eyes

"Sure, I'll see if Christina and Burke can baby-sit,"

"Great, now show me this patient of yours,"

George smiled and quickly kissed her again before following her off to a nearby patients room.

--------------------------------------

A/N: Okay, my Internet has been down or else this would have been a week ago. Wasn't Thruday's episode FANTASTIC? I don't know whom I want her to pick. I know my story is Mer/Der but Finn IS perfect for her. .I keep on telling my friends that the dating both of them isn't going to work out, but I guess we'll have to wait and see. And….MCSTEAMY IS BACK! YA! Lol. Okay back to fanfic! YA long chapter! Ya! Lol….this chapter really wasn't that hard to write. Next chapter will be Alex/Izzie and Mer/Der…I'm not sure yet, but it will defiantly have Alex/Izzie in it! Lol. So nxt chapter will be up ASAP….like I've said before my updates depend on my teachers…THEY CONTROL MY LIFE!

REVIEW LIKE YOU'RE LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!


	16. Jerks

**Chapter 16: Jerks**

Izzy stood in the nursery, checking up on one of the preemies. She had a concern look on her face, as she stroked the little girl's belly.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered "No one deserves to have the life you have right now. No one,"

A lone tear ran down her cheek. She continued to stroke the baby, as the door to the nursery opened. Izzy didn't even look up. She thought it was one of the nureses, so she didn't waste her energy. Suddenly someone grabbed her from the behind. Izzy let out a small squeal.

"Whoa, calm down babe, it's just me!" smiled Alex. Izzy's face turned red as she turned around and slapped Alex hard.

"Wh…What the hell was that for?" he stammered, taken by surprise

"You just waltz right in here, while I'm taking care of a patient that might die here in a few minutes, and you come up and have me sream, which might wake up all the babies, which might make her stressed and go into cardiac arrest and DIE!" Izzy whispered in an angry tone. Alex stood there dumbfounded.

"Okay, Okay I'm sorry. I didn't realize that, this 'patient' as you called it, was so sick,"

"What does that supposed to mean?"

"What?"

" She quoted 'patient,' sarcastically like she wasn't a patient. God Alex, just because she's not an adult and doesn't need plastic surgery, doesn't mean she's not a real patient! She's just as improtant as yours. But I guess your patients aren't real since all they want is body lifts!"

Izzy was getting angrier and angrier with each passing moment.

"Oh, I know you didn't just say that! Some have 3rd degree burns Izzy. 3rd DEGREE BURNS!"

"DON'T YELL IN HERE!"

"I'LL YELL IF I WANT TO!"

Soon the whole nursery erupted in screams, followed by a heart machine flat lining. Izzy whipped around to see her preemie flattening.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" she yelled to Alex, as Izzy started to carfully pump the baby girl's chest. All Izzy heard was the nursery door slam, but she didn't care. Izzy continued to pump the babies girl's chest, until she whispered

"Time of death…4:49 p.m.,"

---

Izzy walked out of the nursery about half an hour later. She had been crying. Crying over her and Alex's fight, and crying over the little baby girl. She headed towards the nurse's station to grab a tissue. But, her feet didn't lead her there. Instead, she headed towards the nearest elevator. Luckily, the 'room' was empty. The doors closed and her finger pressed the Level 4 button: Surgery. She didn't know why she was going there. Her feet seemed to have a mind of her own, and she was just following where they took her. The door chimed open, and she stepped out, and took an imidate right. She kept on walking until she reached the end of the hall, and took a left. She followed that hallway, until she came to an office door. She knocked twice and waited outside for the resident of the office to open.

"Can you hold on a second?" came the voice from the other side. Izzy heard footsteps, and suddenly the door flew open.

"May I help you?" said the voice coldly. Izzy collapsed in tears.

"I'm…so….sorry," she sobbed. Alex brought Izzy into a big hug. He just stood there holding her, and rubbing her back, trying to calm her down. Finally, she stopped crying and looked into his eyes. She saw him smile down to her. She let a smiled creep across her face and she smiled back.

"Okay, well I got a patient in here. I'll meet you at home okay? You need to go and get some rest, I'll be home shortly and we can talk about it okay?"

Izzy nodded as she hugged Alex.

"Thank you….for loving me," she whispered. Alex smiled and pulled her into a kiss. The patient in the room cleared her throat

"Hi remember me? The patient with 2nd degree burns here?" she said obvioulsy annoyed. Izzy smiled obviously embarressed as she kissed Alex lightly on the lips and left, feeling much better than when she came in.

---------------------

"YOU ARE THE MOST STUPIDEST MAN I'VE EVER MET! YOU KNOW THAT? STUPID!"

Meredith had just come home from Richard's call and needless to say, she wasn't happy.

"WHAT PART OF 'TAKE IT EASY' DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? YOU COULD OF GONE INTO A COMA…A COMA DEREK!"

Meredith was pacing the living room. Both kids were outside playing, so they couldn't hear Meredith yell. They knew something was going on, they just didn't want to know what exactly it was.

"Okay, okay I'm sorry. Yes I was being stupid. Next time I'll use my head,"

"NEXT TIME? NEXT TIME DEREK? WHAT? ARE YOU PLANNING TO LEAVE US AGAIN JUST TO COME BACK, GET IN A PLANE CRASH, HAVE ME OPERATAE ON YOU, JUST SO YOU CAN GO PLAY SOCCER IN THE BACK YARD WITH YOUR SON TO LATER HAVE ME CALLED OUT OF SURGERY TO RUSH OVER HERE, BECAUSE THE FREAKIN CHIEF OF SURGERY PAGED ME SAYING THAT YOU WERE KNOCKED OUT FROM OVER DOING IT? HUH? ARE YOU DEREK? BECAUSE IF SO, I'D LIKE TO KNOW AHEAD OF TIME! I MEAN I WAS CALLED OUT OF SURGERY DEREK!"

By this time, tears were streaming down Meredith's cheek as Derek hung his head like a bad little boy.

"I'm sorry okay. As usual I wasn't thinking. I really and truly sorry,"

Meredith sighed.

"Damn right you weren't thinking. Derek I know your sorry, but for some reason you don't learn. It's just that I don't want to loose you. That's twice in the past 2 months that I've been scared half to death because of you,"

Meredith flopped down on the couch next to Derek. She leaned her head on her shoulder, as she stroked her hair.

"Does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?" he asked stupidly. Meredith lifted her head and slapped him on the shoulder.

"OWWW! What was that for?"

"That was for being the stupid guy that I feel for and married. It was also for scaring me half to death, AND for being stupid,"

"You already said that,"

Meredith glared at him and slapped him again.

"OKAY OKAY! I'm stupid, just stop with the slapping,"

Meredith laughed as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"You're stupidness is the reason I married you," she commented

Derek rolled his eyes and laughed. After a few seconds Meredith did too. Both of them sat there, holding each other laughing. Meanwhile, Audrey and Jaccob were looking through the glass doors and into the living room, trying to figure out if it was safe to enter.  
"Grown-ups are weird aren't they?" asked Audrey

"Don't ask me, I'm obviously going to grow up like dad and become stupid,"

"In that case,"

Audrey slapped Jaccob on the shoulder just as Meredith did to Derek

"OW! What the heck was that for?" cried Jaccob

"For being stupid," said Audrey matter-of-factly before sliding open the door and running into the living room, squeezing in between Derek and Meredith, leaving a confused Jaccob, rubbing his slapped shoulder.

---

Meredith was awoken half an hour later by her pager.

"Shit! Shit, oh my god shit," she said as she scrambled from ontop of Derek and started to look for her purse.

"Wh-What?" Derek asked grogly

"Shit, I should have been back! SHIT!"

"Mer calm down!"

Meredith stopped and looked at him

"Calm down? Seriously calm down? I got an intern probably walking around the hosptial like a dumbass wondering what the hell to do. A Chief wondering where the hell I am and a patient wondering when the hell he's going to die. Calm down? Really you want me to calm down Derek?"

"Okay don't calm down!"

Meredith found her purse and her pager. Luckily it was just her intern, wondering where she was. Meredith sighed a sigh of relife. Derek started to get up from the couch, but Meredith caught him

"Ya I don't think so buddy. You're still in the dog house with me. If you want to continue being in there, and not having any sex, then continue to stand. Otherwise, you better sit you're pretty little ass down right now,"

Derek threw his hands up in defeat and plopped right back down on the couch.

"You know you really are the Nazi 3.0"

Meredith just gave him a 'shut-the-hell-up' look and picked up her purse and coat.

"I'll call you when I'm done. I'll probably won't be home till around 8 or 9, depending on when Chief will let me sneak out, due to this little stunt I pulled. God I hate you so much,"

"Love you too Mer," mummbled Derek

Meredith cracked a small smile and kissed Derek lightly on the lips

"I'll call later,"

Derek smiled and pulled her into a long kiss.

"Damit I got to go," muttered Meredith when she pulled away. She then kissed Derek on the cheek and ran out of the house calling

"Don't forget to cook dinner, then get your ass back on that couch!"

Derek laughed as he found the remote, starting to flip through channels only to be interuppted a few minutes later by the ringing of the phone. Luckily, it was postioned on the table behind the couch, so Derek didn't have to get up.

"Hello?"

"WHERE ARE THE KIDS?"

Derek smiled as he pictured Meredith on the other end freaking out. He let out a small chuckle.

"Derek Shepherd if you don't tell me right now where the hell our kids are, then I will turn this car around, and make sure that you can never, I reapeat NEVER get up from that couch,"

Derek started to laugh even harder

"Meredith calm down. Right when you feel asleep, they snuck up to the family room and started to play their Playstation 3. They're fine. Now, hang up the phone, exit the highway, and go save lives, before you cause an accident and kill one,"

Meredith was obvioulsy not amused,

"You think you're so smart but-"

The line went dea

"Mer? Meredith? Meredith answer the phone!"

"Oh my god! Derek I got to go!"

All Derek heard was the dial tone of the phone.

--

Meredith got out of her car and rushed over to the scene of the accident. Instinctively, she dialed the hospital

"Seattle Grace Hospital, how may I help you?"

"This is Dr. Meredith Shepherd, co-head of the Neurodepartement. Could you please patch me through to the Chief of Surgery, it's urgent,"

"Certainatley Dr. Shepherd, please hold,"

Meredith rolled her eyes as she was put on hold. She began to run over to the victims, trying to asses the damage,

"Meredith?"

"CHIEF!"

Meredith has never been that happy to hear the Chief's voice before

"Meredith what's wrong, they say it's an emergency,"

"I got a 10 car pile up here on highway 286 Chief. It looks serious. Clear the OR's, and if possible, cancel all Christina's, Burke's, Izzy's, Gerorge's, Alex's, Mark's, Addison's, and you surgeries. This is serious. Also clear the ER and trauma unit. Get all the ambulances we have. Chief, this is serious,"

"Mer, I'd hate to break it to you, but we're backed up. They'll have to go to Mercy-"

"NO! They have to come to Seattle Grace! NOW!"

"Okay Mer, calm down. Try to do what you can, and I'll do what I can. I'm sure the ambulances are on their way. I'll see you in a few seconds,"

"Okay,  
Meredith closed her phone and kneeled down to the nearest victim she saw. He looked about 20, and had blood gushing from his head. Meredith tore a piece of his shirt, and applied it to his head. Next she searched for anymore injures. After concluding that he only had a few broken bones, she went on to the next one. Soon she heard the sirens of the ambulances. She looked up to see about 5 coming with SGH printed on them. Behind them were about 5 with MWGH printed on them. The 5 SG ambulances stopped right in front of her and Jill stepped down,

"What do we have Dr. Shepherd?" she asked

"21 year-old-man over there, trauma to the head and some broken bones. The rest I don't know. Just load them up,"

Jill nodded and started to head towards the young man, but Meredith caught her arm

"What the hell are they doing here?" she whispered pointing to the Mercy West ambulances

"Chief told us to call Mercy West. ER is full with a shooting earlier," she shrugged. Meredith looked down to see the Mercy West team inspecting the rest of the victims. Meredith nodded and started to walk down the line of vicitms. Some were unconsious, others were obvioulsy dead. Family members were on the sidelines crying. Meredith began to walk towards them when a little girl caught her eye. She started walking towards her and Meredith let out a small gasp. It was a little girl about the age of 6 who Meredith had treated when she was just a baby. She was a premiee with a large brain tumor, who made it out of surgery alive. Meredith ran over to her as the Mercy West team began to load her up

"NO!" she yelled at them. They turned towards her astonished

"I'm sorry, but family members aren't allowed to come in here," said the Mercy West EMT.

Meredith was getting annoyed with them already  
"I'm not a family member. I'm Dr. Meredith Shepherd co-head of Nuerology at Seattle Grace Hosptial. You may have heard of me or my husband Dr. Derek Shepherd, he's top Nuerosurgeon in the country. What, may I ask are you planning to do with that little girl?" asked Meredith, her arms crossed

"With all due respect Dr. Shepherd, but I don't care if you are the director of Nuerology at Seattle Grace. This girl is going to Mercy West where she can get a CT scan," said the EMT, getting annoyed with Meredith

"Not on my watch," spat Meredith "This little girl was my patient when she was born. She had a farley large brain tumor on her frontal lobe and I saved her. Now, she is not going to Mercy West. You are going to load her up in your truck and take her to Seattle Grace,"

"Or what Dr.?" tested the EMT

"Or I will call your boss and tell him how disprespectful you were to a Dr. and an attending notherless,"

"You can't do that,"

"Watch me,"

Meredith pulled out her cell phone and started to dial the number to Seattle Grace, trying to fool the EMT

"FINE! Take I'll take her the Seattle Grace," The EMT finally gave in. Meredith smiled

"Thank you," she said she saw the EMT tell his staff to load the girl up and take her to SG. Meredith smiled. She loved these kinds of days where she got to yell at people and save lives. Meredith started to walk back to her Jeep, still smiling as she started up the engine, preparing for multiple surgeries, where lives were going to be saved.

--------------

Izzy and Alex stood in an on-call room, laying ontop of one another, with cothes scattered everywhere. Izzy was smiling, as Alex kissed her abdomen fiercely.

"Ha ha ha, you really know how to please a girl," muttered Izzy

Alex looked up and smiled

"You haven't seen nothing yet,"

Izzy smiled an evil smile

"Bring it on Dr. Evil Spawn,"

Alex smiled back, and kissed his way back up to Izzy. Izzy's eyes closed as she threw her head back in pleasure. He made his way up to her breasts, kissing in between them, as Izzy laughed. Alex continued his way up, as he kissed her chest, then shoulder, then crevice of her neck. He climbed on top of her, and began to kiss her fiercly, as Izzy answerd back. Suddenly, both of their pagers went, off but they didn't care. Alex's hands roamed Izzy's body as he began to enter her for the second time that day. Izzy let out a cry for joy as she ran her fingers through his hair. Both pagers went off again. Izzy, getting annoyed, checked them and suddenly pulled away

"Babe what's wrong?"

"It's 9-1-1 from Meredith," she answred

"Shit," muttered Alex as he began to climb out of the bed, as Izzy was already half-way dressed. By the time she was out the door, he only had on his shirt

"C'mon!" she yelled before sprinting down the hallway, with Alex closley behind.

----

"Good work team," was the saying in all the OR's in SGH. Everyone managed to save all their patients, except Burke on a critcally injured 67 year old male. The gang soon met up in the basement, their old hangout place when they were interns.

"I saved a little girl's life that I saved when she was born. Had massive bleeding from where I operated when she was born. Some of the sitches had come apart, it's amazing how she lived," told Meredith, sitting on the gurney, starting off into space.

"I saved a 2 year old from massive heart bleeding, so there!" answered Christina back, laying down on the gurney next to Meredith's

"I beat all of you! I saved a 18 month old from dying! He had heart and head complications, and I saved him!" declared George

"I operated on him too George," laughed Meredith

"Ya so?" muttered George, dissapointed the Meredith had ruined his moment of glory.

"Too bad Burke's guy died though," said Izzy, sitting in a wheelchair while Alex massaged her shoulder's

"He was going to die anyway Izzy. This way was faster anyway," said Christina streaching

"So? He could of lived longer if he wanted to,"

"That's the thing, maybe he didn't want to,"

This made Izzy shut up, before she said something that she was going to regret.

"So Iz," said Meredith, trying to break the silence "When's the wedding date?"

Izzy and Alex looked at each other and smiled

"January 2," they said

Everyone looked over to them

"What?" questioned Izzy

"Serioulsy? January 2 of next year?" asked Christina

"Ya why Yang? You and Burke got something planned for that date?"

"It's rather soon isn't it?" piped up George

"Sooner the better Bambi," said Alex "Unless Bethany Whispherer here is going to changer her mind,"

Izzy played hit him

"Don't call him that!" she squealed

The gang burst out laughing as Meredith's phone rang

"Hello?"

"Meredith?"

Meredtih almost dropped her phone. She turned a pale white

"Mer? What's wrong?" asked Geroge

"It's…It's my father,"

**_A/N: Again...internet problems! This chapter should have been up before Thurday's episode. Actually it should have been up on Monday...but w/e.Wow REALLY long chapter! I really like this chapter! I wanted to make this an Izzlex and Merder chapter. I think I've been leaving out Izzy and the wedding so ya. Actually the wedding date is my best friends birthday. First I used my birthday for the twins b-day, and not my bff's b-day. So I've got some personal touches. I was going to do the next chapter the wedding, but I like this way better. Don't worry Wedding is coming up soon, then some Burtina's and Gerollie's. lol I just made those up! I'm horrible rn't I? So yes Meredith's father. Haven't mentioned him AT ALL, so here he is! Also more on that little girl that Meredith treated to come later and Emily since I haven't mentioned her latley! Please Review!_**


	17. Reality Check

**Chapter 16: Reality Check**

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Are you positive?"

"Derek, I think I know my own father's voice!"

Meredith and Derek were lying in bed talking over her phone call with her dad.

"Sorry, I'm just trying to process this," muttered Derek

Meredith smiled and leaned over to kiss him

"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to process this as well,"

Derek smiled as he pulled her ontop of him and kissed her wily.

"Derek, the kids are down the hall, and you're supposed to be recovering," said Meredith in-between kisses.

"These…rooms…are…sound…proof," he answered back. Meredith pulled back and stared at him

"Seriously?"

"What?"

"We've been living here for 10 years, and you're now telling me that this room in sound proof?"

Derek smiled

"I thought you knew…but now that you do!" Derek smiled a michevious smile and pulled Meredith back ontop of him. He began to roam her body, but she pulled away once again

"Meredith!" he whined

"I'm sorry Derek, but I can't. Not with what just happened,"

Meredith sat on the edge of the bed and put her head in her hands. Derek sighed and crawled over to her, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Meredith leaned back and let Derek hold her. Silent tears ran down her cheek.

"Why? Why does this stuff always have to happen to me? I mean I haven't talked to him in over 20 years, and now he just calls out of no where and asks to have dinner with Emily and me on Friday night for no apparent reason. What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to tell Em?"

Derek squeezed Meredith tightly

"Shhhhh, it's okay. Everything is going to be all right. Look it's Wednesday right? Call Emily up right now, and tell her what happened. Then go to dinner with your dad and see what's up. Everything is going to be fine, I promise. Plus I'm coming back to work on Monday. That's a perk right?"

Meredith turned around and smiled.

"You do know how to cheer up a girl don't you?"

Derek smiled

"So does that mean you feel better?"

Meredith nodded and wiped away her tears

"Much, thank you. Now I know why I married you,"

Derek smiled again, and pulled Meredith into a kiss

"Can we have sex now?"

Meredith rolled her eyes

"Fine, only because you made me feel better. I swear sometimes you're a little 5 year old, who has to have something at all times. And in your case, it's sex,"

Derek laughed

"That's what I'm here for,"

Derek took Meredith and set her ontop of him. They began kissing again and Derek began to roam her body. They made love into the night, as if they haven't in over a year.

------------

"DR. SHEPHERD!" Meredith whipped around the next day to see Jessie, her 6-year-old patient, being wheeled out of her room by Olivia. Meredith put down her chart and bent down to take in Jessie. She had improved from the accident, and was doing well.

"How's my favorite patient this morning?" cooed Meredith. Jessie smiled a wide, tooth grinned smile.

"Tired, but no more aches!" she exclaimed. Meredith laughed at her enthusiasm. She loved it when her "little" patients gave her feedback.

"And where is Nurse Olivia taking you this morning?" questioned Meredith, giving Olivia a small wink.

"SURPRISE!" squealed Jessie. Meredith laughed a silent laugh.

" A surprise? Well, just make sure you're back in your bed in an hour. I'll come by later to check on you,"

Even though the message was directed towards Olivia, Jessie nodded her head

"Don't worry Dr. Shepherd, I'll get her back," said Jessie in a 'grown-up' way. Meredith laughed. Olivia began to wheel Jessie away, when Meredith caught hold of Olivia's arm

"Have you see my sister?" she whispered in Olivia's ear.

"Last I saw her, she was doing a consult down in peds. But lately, she's been in on-call rooms crying," Olivia informed her.

"Why hasn't anyone told me this?" exclaimed Meredith, beginning to get mad

"We…We didn't want to make anymore stress than you already had," said Olivia, shrugging. Meredith sighed

"Okay, I'll go find her. Thanks. And I'm serious about getting her back in her bed in an hour, no more,"

Olivia smiled

"Don't worry Meredith, I'm just taking her out to the gardens. She loved the butterflies,"

Meredith nodded before heading off to the elevator while Olivia wheeled Jessie out of the hallway and towards the elevators.

-

Meredith stood at the front of the elevator, waiting for it to come up. While she was standing, her thoughts drifted to Jessie. She loved the little girl with all her heart and it was sad what this little girl was going through. Her mother was down in ICU in a coma and her father was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Meredith shook her head before pressing the elevator call button again. Finally,the doors dinged open and she stepped in to see Christina leaning against the wall.

"Hey," welcomed Meredith as the doors closed and she pressed the 3 button. Christina just nodded her head in Meredith's acknowledgement, and went back to looking at the floor.

"Christina? What's wrong?" asked Meredith cautiously. Christina let out a large sigh.

"Burke is too tied up in his "Chief" work and hasn't been home. I'm taking over all his surgeries, while doing mine, and watching over interns and Bambi, while having 2 kids at home, and trying not to get worked up about your little emotional roller coaster," said Christina 'matter-of-factly'.

"Oh," said Meredith, hearing more than she needed to. Christina stared at her.

"Oh fine, what's wrong with you?"

"No, you're too worked up. I'll go find Izzy. She'll be my new person,"

Christina let out a small huffy sigh.

"Meredith, just tell me!"

Meredith smiled. She loved guilt tripping Christina, even if she was already mad.

"Well, you know that my dad called. Well, he wants to have dinner with Emily and me. Well, Olivia just informed me that Em has been sneaking down to on-call rooms, crying her eyes out,"

"Why?"

"I don't know Christina! She doesn't talk to me anymore!"  
"Maybe because you don't talk to her," mumbled Christina

'What?"

Christina sighed and pulled the emergency button. A soft ringing noise filled the elevator

"Meredith, not everything is about you anymore. Sure when we were interns it was. But that was what over 10 years ago? Get out of bed and get on with your life. You're married to McDreamy and have two wonderful kids. So what if your life has gone to hell these last couple months, that doesn't mean its over! So stop being all 'Emo' and become the freakin Neurosurgeon that you were meant to be before I come and kick our little McDreamy ass one day because I'm sick and tired of hearing you WHINE!"

Christina pulled the emergency button again and the elevator doors opened. Before she walked out, Christina looked behind her to see a lone tear run down Meredith's cheek. Christina sighed and left the elevator without another word.

---

Emily stepped into the cafeteria after having one of her daily crying fits. She didn't know why she did it, but it always made her feel better. Wiping away the tears, she surveyed the cafeteria. After a few minutes, her eyes landed on a lone figure sitting in the back of the room, stirring what looked like a cup of coffee. Emily shook her head and rubbed her eyes. Looking again and the person, Emily sighed. She never thought that the day would come when she had to cheer up her big sister. Usually it was Meredith who was rubbing her back saying everything was going to be fine. Meredith had the perfect husband, and the perfect job, while Emily was stuck with one-night stands and a job that was driving her crazy, but loved. She made her way across the cafeteria and sat down next to Meredith. For a few seconds, they sat there in complete silence. Finally Meredith spoke up.

"Christina just yelled at me. Well, not yelled, but 'told-me-off' in a 'nice' way."

Emily looked confused

"Oh? That's it? You're sitting here all alone, feeling sorry for yourself because Christina 'yelled' at you? I though I knew you better,"

Emily got up and started to leave, before Meredith stopped her

"Dad called,"

Emily stopped dead in her tracks. She turned around to see Meredith's red and blotchy eyes staring up at her. They seemed emotionless with the big dark circles underneath her former green eyes.

"Dad? Called? Dad called you?"

Meredith nodded and went back to her coffee. Emily found her way back to the seat and looked at Meredith in disbelief. After a few more awkward moments Emily spoke up

"Are-Are you sure it was dad? I mean it could have been a wrong number you know?"

"I THINK I KNOW THE SOUND OF OUR FATHER'S VOICE EMILY!" yelled Meredith. After taking a few breaths she added, "besides, he said my name. He said 'Meredith' in the way he used to say it. No one could say my name the way he does. Not even Derek,"

Tears started to form again in Meredith's eyes.

"Oh, well what did he want?"

Meredith again looked at Emily

"He wants to have dinner with us…tomorrow. Both of us. He wants to meet us downtown and talk to us."

"Oh. Well, are we going to go?"

Meredith looked at her sister in disbelief.  
"Emily, I haven't spoken to our father in over 20 years. The last time was when I was an intern, and when we had the Code Black incident here. I had asked him why he left us and mom. Then I stormed away. You really think I want to go back and face him after the way I left him?"

Emily didn't say anything but looked at Meredith

"But….I can't think why we shouldn't. He has a right to know what were up to, even though he left for the better part of our lives. It's the least we can do,"

Emily nodded. She was trying to process everything in her head.

"What's wrong with you?"

Emily was brought back to Earth when she heard that question from Meredith.

"What-What do you mean?"

"Christina told me that you've been spending a lot of time in the on-call rooms crying. So what's wrong with you?"

Emily couldn't look Meredith in the eye.

"Em, you have to tell me. If you don't, then I can't help you. Now, what's wrong?"

Emily sighed.  
"I've been hanging out at Joe's lately. Having a lot of one-night-stands. But, I think one wasn't protected,"

Emily looked up at Meredith. She looked shocked and was at a loss for words.  
"Em…. are you….pregnant?"

Al l she did was nod,

"About 3 months along,"

------------------------------------------------------------

**_A/N: So Emily is pregnant and next chapter will be spend with her, Meredith, and their father. I think I needed Christina to get Mer a reality check. Even she was getting on my nerves, and I "created" her this way. Ne way, I know I said this should have been up a week ago, but between internet, and make-up work I haven't had the time to update. I'll probably be updating once a week now. So…… Gr...I'm mad about Thursday's episode. I mean Derek GAVE Finn to Mer and then she picks Derek. I mean Derek IS going to hurt her again! He knows that! And Finn won't! I know this is a Merder story but still! I just hope Derek isn't going back to Addison! I would of never guessed the appendix thing…I actually thought she was pregnant. She also needs to be high more often. My mom and I were like on the floor laughing. Ne way, hope you liked this chapter, Izzy's wedding will either be the one after the next, or the one after that. I keep on getting these ideas so….u know the drill…Review or I shall kill (it is Halloween isn't it? Muahahahahahahha)_**


	18. Back

**Chapter 18: Back**

Meredith, Emily, and Thatcher were sitting in a small quite café the next night. A few words had been exchanged, but other than that, the night had been silent. Meredith was reading her menu and stealing glance at her sister. She was trying to communicate with her without words, but it wasn't going to well. Meanwhile, Thatcher was trying to think about what to say to each of them. He had left them, and now was back in their lives for what? He didn't even know that Meredith had kids. Thatch sighed and looked back at his menu. Emily on the other hand was shaking like a leaf. Every five minutes, she would put her hand on her stomach, but quickly realized it, then put it back on the table. Finally the waitress came

"You folks ready to order?"

Meredith sighed. At least the silence was broken

"Not yet, thank you. Give us 5 more minutes," Thatcher spoke up before anyone could object. The waitress nodded her head and left.

"Dad! What did you do that for?" questioned Meredith

"Mer," he said trying to calm her down

"No dad. Do you know how hard this is for us? For me and Emily sitting here, wondering what to say to a father we haven't seen in what…20 years? Finally, some tension is broken, then you shoo it away? What the hell is wrong with you?" Meredith was practically on her feet yelling. People, who were sitting near them, started to stare.

"Meredith,"

"No dad. Unless, you tell us why you've been absent I'm going to get up and leave, and never thinking about you again!"

Thatcher sighed

"I deserve that,"

"Damn…what?"

"I deserve everything you just said to me,"

Meredith was speechless. For once she had won. She had won a battle, which she was prone to loose. She sat back in her chair, with a loss for words. Emily, who hadn't spoken at all, finally spoke up

"Dad, I'd hate to say it, but…Meredith is right. I-Even…Dad, when you left, I could tell something was wrong, even if I was young. Mom was always crying a lot, and Meredith became…rebellious. You just left. Got up, without a note, and left without another word. I mean we both go through college, Med. school, and our residency without a word from you. Now all of a sudden, you randomly call and want to have dinner with us? Dad…what we deserve is an explanation and what you deserve is nothing,"

Meredith looked away. She didn't want to see the shocked look on his face. She was shocked herself by the way Emily had talked to their father, but she didn't say anything. Finally, Thatcher spoke up.

"You're right. Both of you. You guys deserve an explanation why I didn't share a word with you through one of the most important parts of your lives. That's why I called Meredith a couple days ago. I wanted to talk to you guys. I wanted to explain everything, and I wanted to be…your father…again."

Meredith finally had enough

"So NOW you decide to do it? Now??? Dad, you have NO IDEA how much you've missed…NO IDEA!" Meredith got up and started to walk away, but Thatcher had grabbed her arm

"Meredith, please sit down so I can explain…please,"

Meredith closed her eyes and obediently sat down. She took a drink of her wine and stared at her father.

"Well, I guess I better start when I left and where I come in now. I know I've been absent. But to tell you the truth, I've been thinking about both of you from the day that I left. You girls were my angels. I loved you, but I had to leave. These last 20 or so years have been tough." Thatcher took a quick breath and continued "I moved away for a while. Went to Virginia where my parents and siblings lived. I stayed with them for a while. I tried to keep in touch, but your mother wouldn't let me. Everytime I'd call, she'd hang up. Every letter that I sent would be torn up. She wanted me out of your lives. But, a few weeks ago I moved back. My siblings had their own life and couldn't take care of me. My business had closed down, and I was pretty much homeless. Then I remembered Seattle. Where my life was. I bought a plane ticket and immediately moved back here. The first thing I wanted to do was repair things with you guys and your mother.

"When I came back and heard that your mother had died, I was heart broken. I knew your mother didn't love me, but I still loved her. She was my wife and she gave me you two. I was hurt that I was not contacted about her death. For the first couple weeks, I shut myself out from the world. I didn't talk, eat, drink, nothing. I wanted to die.

"Then after my period of grieving, I went to the store to buy food. As I walked up to the counter a magazine caught my eye. I don't know why since I hate magazines but for some reason this one did. I stopped and picked it up. There on the cover was you Meredith and Daniel…is that his name?"

Tears were rolling down Meredith's eyes

"Derek," she answered quietly

"Yes Derek. Well… I saw you and Derek on the front. You guys looked happy. Standing back to back in your navy blue scrubs and lab coats. Your stethoscopes hanging from your necks. I read the headline: 'Top 2 and….Married?' and instantly all these memories came flooding back of you and Emily. Tears were welling up in my eyes as I decided to take home the magazine to see actually what I missed, and I see that I have missed a lot. Too much actually. That's why I called you Meredith. To see what I missed,"

After hearing this, Meredith and Emily exchanged looks.

"Well dad," started Meredith slowly, trying not to get mad "What did the article say?"

Thatcher looked up at Meredith

"I want to hear what you have to say Mer. I have a feeling that the article didn't give me everything that a father needs to know,"

Meredith rolled her eyes. _Well duh! It's just a stupid little article about how Derek and I are married and the top two neurosurgeons in the country that just has to be working in Seattle. _

"Okay. Well, I went to Dartmouth University in Boston to do my medical school training and to go to college. It was one of the best 8 years of my life. Campus life was great and it was nice to be away from the high school life all on my own. Mom wrote every month to see how I was holding up and to prove to me that I couldn't handle it. She always sent money along to, just in case I was doing fine. One day in my last year at Dartmouth, I received the letter saying mom had Alztimers disease. My grades started to drop slightly. I wrote her back saying, that I would come back after my schooling and take care of her. That year I graduated 3rd in my class, and received my internship here in Seattle.

"After moving into the old house, I put mom in a nursing home and visited her everyday, since I would be starting work soon. The day before my internship started, I met Derek at a bar. I was drunk, and he was good looking, and he….took advantage of me. I immediately kicked him out the next morning and rushed over to begin the long hell road of surgeon life. That same day, I figured out that my one-night stand turned out to be my bosses' boss, and that's what started this whole mess.

"After a few weeks of trying to get me to go out with him, I caved. We went out for about 2 months, without anyone but my fellow intern friends knowing. One day, I learned that Derek had a wife, and my world came crashing down. I made him choose between her and me, and he took her. I was devastated. I vowed never to talk to him again. Of course, that didn't work since he is my boss. So we tried being friends.

"One of my last years as an intern, one of my friends, Izzy, cut a patients heart wire and pretty much killed him. She loved him, and it was devastating that she did that. That same night, our bosses' bosses' boss, our Chief, assigned us to his niece who was dying of cancer. We made this whole prom theme thing just for her. During this time, I was dating a Vet. Actually my vet, since I had a dog, but gave it to Derek, since we were friends. That night at prom, I cheated on the vet, by…taking advantage of Derek.

"Since then, I chose him, Derek. We've been dating through my Residency, which went really well. My first day of my residency, I met Emily, and we became immediate sisters. That same year, Derek proposed to me, and I said yes. From that day on, my life has been pretty much perfect. My best friend, Christina, made Chief of Residents, and I was second in command. Before my residency ended, I gave birth too two beautiful children, Audrey Ellis Shepherd and Jaccob Fredrick Shepherd, the middle names being mom and Derek's dad's name. My residency ended, and my friends and me decided to continue our fellowship at Seattle Grace, and I became a neurosurgeon.

"The next 10 years were perfect. Derek was named top neurosurgeon in the country, and I was named second, which was surprising, since I was named my second year. A couple months ago, my life has started to fall apart again. Derek went away to London, and when he came back, his plane crashed. He was seriously injured and has been improving lately, and gets to go back to work on Monday. I've just had to work a long shift since a 10-car pile up just happened, and our General Surgeon, has been out, since she was also involved in a car wreck. So you see dad, you've missed a lot. That time when I spoke to you last, was when my life was hell. It's gotten better, but it could have been a hell of a lot better if you were around. To see your grandchildren, and to see me grow up to be a successful surgeon, with no help, from ANY of my family members, except Emily!"

Meredith was now in tears. The waitress came back, but Meredith got up and ran into the bathroom. She swung open the door and went near the sinks. Standing in front of them, she let her tears fall. 20 years of feelings of her father kept inside of her was now being unleashed. She didn't even hear the door open. Meredith kept on standing over the sink, crying her heart out.

"Meredith?"

"GO AWAY!"

"Mer,"

"WHAT?"

Meredith turned to see Emily standing up against the wall, scared. Her eyes, were beginning to get red, and welling up with tears. Finally, Emily came over and held Meredith while she cried. After a few minutes she stopped.

"What the hell am I doing?" she whispered "Our father is out there, trying to get back what he lost, and I'm in here crying. I'm yelling my gut at him. What the hell is wrong with me?"

Emily looked at Meredith

"You're just stressed. We haven't seen him in so long, it's just…hard. He has a right to know, but if he wanted to know, he should of came earlier. But, at least he's here now. C'mon, lets go finish this dinner and try to enjoy it while we can."  
Meredith smiled at her sister

"Thanks Em,"

Emily gave Meredith a big hug

"No problem, now c'mon, we got a date to finish,"

Both girls walked out of the bathroom and over to the table. Thatcher was ringing his 4th napkin when the came out.

"Is…Is everything okay?" he asked nervously

Meredith smiled

"It is now,"

Emily smiled back as they took their seats at the waitress came back over

"Is everything alright miss?"

Meredith nodded

"Are you women ready to order?"

Meredith and Emily looked at each other

"I think we are. I'll have the Chicken Parmesan Salad, with Vinaigrette on the side," ordered Meredith

"And I will have the Tomato and Potato soup, with a small salad on the side," followed Emily

The waitress nodded and left the family once again.

"Well," started Thatcher "I'm sorry I missed all of that Meredith. It does seem that you've gone through a lot since the last time that we've talked. Especially since the article didn't mention that I have 2 grandchildren. How old are they now?"

"They turned 7 in June," answered Meredith

"Oh," responded Thatcher, quietly.

The three of them sat in a awkward silence for a couple more minutes. Meredith kept on sipping her wine, trying to figure out what he was going to say next.

"Well, when can I meet them?"

Meredith thought she was going to spit out her wine

"What?"  
"Well…I am their grandfather, so… I would like to meet them sometime,"

Meredith stared at her father

"You're serious?"

"Uh…ya,"

Meredith shook her head

"Dad….you've been absent for 7 years. The most I've told is that they had a grandma who died a long time ago from a disease called Alztimers and that she had a husband who were divorced when I was their age and that their grandpa is somewhere in this country. What will they think when you show up at the house one day and be like "hi, I'm your grandfather that let your grandmother about 30 years ago,"?"

Thatcher sighed

"Meredith-"

"NO Dad! You can't see them!"

Meredith gave her father a hard stare and turned away. There was an awkward silence once again at the table. Finally, Thatcher spoke up again.

"Well, now that I know about your life….Mer-"

"Don't call me that," snapped Meredith

Thatcher looked at Meredith, startled

"But…you've always let me call you Mer. Even Meri…that was my name for you,"

"Well that was before you left!"  
Thatcher sighed

"Well.…like I was saying…since I know about Meredith's life…I would like to know what's been going on in your life Emily,"

Emily looked at her father

"M-Me?"  
"Well yes. You're the one I haven't spoken to in over 30 years. I would like to know what's been going on between then and now,"

Emily was bewildered.

"Oh…well…I grew up with mom when you left. She was always gone because of work you know…and Mer was at Med. school and since I was still in high school, I just kinda hung out with my self. I cooked, cleaned, and rocked my self to sleep. I had a couple friends in high school, but nothing big. No boyfriends, not BFF's just…work…semi-friends…and myself. I guess it was my senior year I decided I wanted to go to med. school and be like Mer. Even though I really didn't know who she was, because she during high school, mom always talked about her. I learned that she went to med. school and was screwing up her life, and I was like 'what the heck, if mom already screwed my life, and Mer is screwing her life, why not do that to m life?'

"So I applied to various Med. schools and ended up going to UCLA. Even though it's not a top Medical School…I thought it was good enough. So 8 years of hard intensified training, and I ended up back in Seattle…and mom's old hospital. I didn't graduate at the top of my class….I think I was top 10 though, but nothing like Mer. Mom would of disowned me if she would of found out. During all this I was in no contact with mom or Mer. I had no clue that Meredith was anymore. I had no clue mom was sick. All I knew was what I was taught, and that was to be a surgeon.

"So, first day of internship. I arrived late…overslept, nothing to be proud of. The Chief kinda eyed me, but continued on his speech. After gong back to the locker room, to get my assignments was the first time I had heard Meredith's name in a sentence. I was Dr. Ronga talking about how awesome it was going to be working under Ellis' Grey's daughter. It didn't register in my mind it was Meredith. Well…I was assigned Dr. Yang…apparently Mer's best friend. I had caught a glimpse of her in the hall, but that was when Christina started yelling at me. During my first shift, Mer confronted me and we've been tight ever since.

"So, internship and residency flew by. Never had a boyfriend…a couple one-night stands but that was because I was drunk. Now I'm a 4th year resident in Pediatric Surgery and pretty much loving it. These last few months have been hard, but I'm getting through it,"

Emily had never spoken so freely about her life. Meredith was hanging onto every word she was saying, trying to find out everything she could about her sister. Even though she had tried before, Emily wouldn't budge about her past. But for some reason, she was now spilling everything that had happened in her life…something Meredith though she was not capable of.

"Wow," said Thatcher after a few minutes "Well…I sure have missed a lot. But…Em…why have these last few months been hard?"

Thatcher tried to grab hold of Emily's hand, but she pulled away. She looked directly at Meredith. Meredith had tears welling up in her eyes. She had no clue what to tell her sister. Emily looked away. She looked around the restaurant and finally back at her father.

"Well…actually….I…god….well dad to tell you the truth…I'm….p-preg…I'm pregnant,"

Thatcher dropped his fork and stared at Emily

"You're….pregnant?" he whispered.

Emily nodded, blushing like crazy.

"Well….whose the father?"  
Emily looked away, tears now streaming down her face.

"I…I don't know,"

She got up and ran out of the restaurant. Even though it was raining, she ran out into the rain, trying to get as far away as possible from her father. Thatcher looked at Meredith

"Do you?"

"Yes I knew. And dad….Thatcher….I would appreciate if you would leave us alone for now on. You've done enough to hurt us. We told you what you needed to know and that's what wanted. I know you want to be part of our lives, but I don't think that should be a good idea. I'll talk to Derek and see what he thinks…but for now just stay away. Please,"

Meredith got up and ran after her sister, leaving Thatcher shocked and hurt. Hurt that his daughters didn't want him and hurt that he hadn't done anything sooner.

**_A/N: I know you guys probably thought this was boring since you know it all. I know the years are all messed up and in my first fic I said Emily was Mer's half sister, and now she's the full. I got a lot of mistakes and this was kinda a filler chapter…but I guess it was necessary. The story has no plot right now, but it will…hopefully. Hopefully you guys can tell me if you do think this story/chapter is boring and what I need to do "spruce it up"? Okay….so….ya. PLEASE REVIEW SO I KNOW WHETHER TO CANCEL THE STORY OR NOT!!!!!!!! (and i'm not kidding) p.s: not going to have as many updates since i only have downstairs internet and not up, which means less time to write!_**


	19. Twisty

**Chapter 19: Twisty**

Meredith was sitting outside the next day looking over a chart, labs, and trying to eat her lunch, which was getting soggy. It was cloudy and a light mist was coming down, but Meredith didn't care. She loved these kinds of days… they match her personality perfectly. She kept on flipping back and forth between the chart and the labs, they just didn't seem to match each other. Finally Meredith just threw down the chart and labs and leaned back into the chair, closing her eyes. She was trying to forget about last night, but it wasn't processing. She heard someone pulling a chair up beside her, but didn't look to see who it was. She knew that she was going to find out in the next 30 seconds

"What's wrong with you?"

Meredith opened her eyes to see Mark digging into his salad, looking over her chart and labs

"Everything, remember I'm dark and twisty,"

Mark let out a small laugh

"You find that funny?"

Mark stopped laughing and sighed  
"Mer, I love you….we've been friends ever since you and Derek got married and had the kids. I can't stand seeing you like this. You're not dark and twisty….dark and twisty is having your appendix removed, having the guy you love pick his wife, having to pick between 2 guys while sleeping with one, and also juggling all of that while being a surgical intern, that's dark and twisty. Lately your life has been a little twisty but not dark. It's been sunshine and rainbows up until Derek left. But it's defiantly not dark and twisty,"

Meredith smiled.

"Why did we ever name you McSteamy? We should of named you McSweety,"

Mark stared at her

"McSweety…Meredith I think the kids turned you soft,"

Marks pager interrupted Meredith's laughter

"Sorry, gotta take it. It's one of my patients; she's pretty beat up. I'll talk to ya later?"

Meredith nodded. Mark smiled as he ran out of the courtyard and into the hospital. Meredith sighed. _Maybe I'm not dark and twisty inside, but hell…I'm twisty. _

Meredith laughed at her thoughts, but was interrupted by her pager once again. She ran into the nearest elevator, glad Mark had just made her day.

---

"Took you long enough Dr. Shepherd,"

Meredith glared at the intern

"Dr. Shawn, how would you like it if I kicked you off the case, reported you to your resident, and have you assigned to suttees for the rest of your internship? I understand you're a first year?"

Meredith saw the intern turn a pale white as he shook his head

"That's what I thought. Remember, the Chief is my very close friend, and I'm sure he'll take my side on this since I am an attending, and I own you,"

The intern closed his mouth and stared at Meredith. She smiled to herself. She loved torturing interns. It was her 4th favorite thing to do behind surgery, being in bed with Derek, and being with her kids; obviously not in that order.

"Now Dr. Shawn, could you tell me what we need to do with this lady before she ends up dying? Her symptoms are rapid heart beat, seizures, fever, and periodically short paralysis from the waist down,"

Meredith knew that the intern didn't know, but she just wanted to see how he would handle this under pressure. Of course, no intern but a couple knew this, her and Christina being one of them as an intern, but she just wanted to test him.

"Well Dr. Shepherd, it's…um…could you repeat the symptoms,"

"Shawn if you don't answer me in the next 2 seconds, you'll be standing out there on that street corner, begging for food before you can say 'Go',"

The intern gulped

"Well, Dr. Shepherd, she might have an anerizum that's affecting her spinal cord which could explain the paralysis and the seizures. The heartbeat could also be caused from the anerizum. The heart is trying to pump blood the recover the loss of blood in the brain. And the fever could be from all the stress that her body is under, that it can't keep up,"

Meredith was surprised, this smartass was correct.

"Well, what do you think we should do Dr. Shawn?"

The intern looked at Meredith surprisingly

"Well….get her an MRI and a CT, then book an OR so we can get that anerizum out of there so she can live,"

Meredith sighed

"Well Dr. Shawn, it would be bad if we operated on something we don't know, wouldn't it? I think we should do the CT scan then MRI before we operate huh?"

The intern nodded

"Sorry Dr. Shepherd,"

"Well, sorry won't cut it if she dies on the table will it? Get her a sedative then get her a CT and MRI then come find me,"

Meredith winked at the patient and left the room, slightly pissed. She scribbled her signature on the chart and handed it to Dr. Shawn before heading towards the nurse's station. It was Derek's first day back, and she hadn't seen him all day. She passed by the board and decided to look at how busy I was. Meredith had a craniotomy scheduled at 4 that she was looking forward too and a minor procedure at 10 with Derek to get him back in the swing of things. She continued to scan the board to see that Christina was currently doing a heart transplant and Izzy was doing an emergency C-section all a while Alex was performing liposuction for a 400-pound man. Meredith loved to see her friends busy saving peoples lives…too bad she's not doing the same at that moment. Meredith sighed and decided to go watch Christina do her magic. She smiled as she stared to walk towards the gallery thinking about her day. She had tortured an intern and was about to save a couple of lives today. Meredith opened the gallery door to see it empty except for Derek sitting in the front row looking at a patient's chart and labs. He didn't even make any notation that someone was in the room except for the occasional look up to check on Christina. Meredith smiled as she sneakily made her way to Derek, trying not to make a sound. Right before she was about to jump out and scare him, when a flat-lined sound filled the OR and gallery. Meredith's eyes shot down to see Christina scrambling to save the woman. She looked young, maybe in her 20's and Meredith knew Christina wasn't about to let her die. Both her and Derek sat and they watched their closet friend try to save this woman's life. Finally, after a few jewels and restating tries later, the woman's heart started to beat again. Meredith let out a sigh of relief. It seemed like lately, a lot of people were dying and Meredith didn't want Derek to see someone dying right before he was going to go into surgery. Unfortunately, once again, Meredith was interrupted by her intern paging her. Derek swung around to see Meredith rolling her eyes at her pager and starting to walk out the door.

"How long have you been here?" he asked

Meredith turned to look at him

"Not long, I just got here when the lady flat lined. How about you? Hiding from everyone?"

Derek laughed

"No…yes…maybe…."

Meredith smiled

"Well I got to take this…stupid intern. I'll see ya in the OR at 10 right?"

Derek nodded and smiled

Meredith smiled back and left the gallery. When the door closed Derek's smile dissapered. He ran his fingers through his hair. He only did that when he was nervous, scared, or mad. He looked back at the patient's chart that he would be operating on that afternoon. He hadn't touched a scalpel in over a month, and now he was scared that he might kill this patient. Derek looked back at the OR to see Christina pulling off her mask and congratulating the team. She left the room for the nurses to close up. Derek sighed. He was scared….but too scared to admit it. He got up and left just as Christina did. Except, without the same feeling of accomplishment.

--

"Well Dr. Shawn…what do you see?"

Meredith was in the CT room looking over her patient's results.

"She was a tumor over her spinal cord which explains her paralysis Dr. Shepherd,"  
Meredith nodded

"Then get this woman prepped for surgery now. I got a craniotomy here a 4 that I don't want to be late for. It's already 12 o'clock. If I'm lucky I'll have 5 minutes before my next surgery. Call down and let them know I'm coming. Then start scrubbing in. I'll meet you down there as soon as possible.

"But Dr. Shepherd….3 surgeries in one day? Isn't that a lot?"  
Meredith turned around and faced the young intern. She smiled an evil smile.

"What are you saying Dr. Shawn? That I'm getting old? That I shouldn't be working anymore? Is that it?"

The intern looked away

"N-No I was just saying that…"  
"If you feel that way how about you don't scrub in? Then we'll see what you think about 3 surgeries a day,"

"No that's not what I meant,"

"You'll get just as much action in the gallery as you would in the OR. I don't think you should be scrubbing in here,"  
Meredith turned back around and started walking towards the door. Before leaving she added

"Oh and Dr. Shawn…that's why I'm #2 in the country. I don't see #3 doing 3 surgeries a day. Oh and for that little remark…you won't be allowed in an OR for the next month and that means the gallery too AND I want you assigned to my service until I say otherwise,"  
Meredith left the room smiling and headed towards the OR. She knew that today was going to be a good day.

----

"Good job team. Out of 3 surgeries all 3 of them survived. Thanks for your help. Go home and get some well deserved sleep,"

Meredith pulled off her mask for the 3rd time that day. She loved doing surgeries and she loved when they survived. But she also loved doing them with Derek. She walked into the scrub room with him following her. He had a huge smile on his face as he leaned down to scrub his hands.

"That was amazing,"  
Meredith smiled

"Yes, it was. What was even more amazing is that you did it perfectly. I started, and you finished. For not holding a scalpel in a month, you did great. No wonder you're number one,"

Derek smiled and her. Meredith knew that smile. It was "their" smile. It was the smile that meant that he was going too lucky tonight. Meredith walked out of the room still smiling. Even though she was tired, she wasn't going to mind having a little fun tonight. Walking into the locker room, Meredith ran into Izzy.

"Hey Izz,"

Izzy turned around to see Meredith opening her locker

"Hey Meredith. Long day?"

Meredith nodded

"3 surgeries and one sass mouth intern and by the look on Derek's face tonight, I'm not going to get any sleep either,"

Izzy rolled her eyes at the remark

"You guys have no self control at all! Seriously!"

Meredith laughed

"I know but it's fun…sometimes,"  
Both girls laughed as they continued to talk since they haven't got a chance to in a while. Izzy finished dressing and closed her locker.

"Hey Mer, can I ask you a favor?"

Meredith looked up from her mirror and over to Izzy

"Sure Izzy…whatever you need, I'll do it,"  
"C-Can you be my Maid of Honor at the wedding?"

Meredith's eyes began to well up with tears.

"Oh Izzy….I would be honored! The date is drawing closer isn't it?"

Izzy nodded

"I can't believe I'm marrying him. It seems like yesterday Denny was proposing to me and now I'm leaving him for Alex,"

Izzy started to cry

"Oh Izz, you're not leaving him. He died. He died happy, knowing that you were going to be his future wife. Now Alex it your Denny in a messed up twisted way. You will now be Mrs. Dr. Evil Spawn,"

Izzy rolled her eyes

"Has a bad ring to it doesn't it?"

Meredith laughed

"But, you'll be happy and that's all that matters,"

Izzy nodded,

"Thanks Mer. I got to go chew Alex out now. I don't know what he did, but I had a pre-me die on me today, and I need to yell at someone,"  
Meredith smiled

"Have fun!"

Izzy nodded and walked out of the locker room. Meredith stood watching the door close. She tried to remember when Derek asked her to marry him. Cloudless night on the ferryboat with all her friends there. Meredith smiled. She knew that Izzy would be as happy as she and Derek are.

"Hey you ready to go?"

Meredith broke away from her daydream at the sound of Derek's voice.

"Ya…ya I am,"

Derek smiled as she grabbed her purse, closed her locker and walked towards him. She gave him a small, but long kiss of thanks.

"What was that for?"

Meredith smiled

"For marrying me and for making me the happiest girl in the world,"

Derek smiled and kissed her back

"You're welcome,  
both of them walked out of the hospital holding one another, glad they choose each other, and not someone else.

**_A/N: OUT OF 494 PEOPLE READING THE LAST CHAPTER I ONLY GOT 3 REVIEWS?????? That's it…I'm not updating until I get 10 reviews….and I mean it. I know I took a long time here but my life has been VERY hectic. With golf tournaments and homework…I feel like an adult with a job instead of a 15 year-old trying to survive high school! Next chapter will be up when I get 10 reviews!!!!!!!_**

**_p.s: I have to put up a certain chapter then I'll have a little bit of drama. I know this chapter was sappy and a filler that wasn't needed…but I needed to update so I can get this next chapter in….so I can ADD DRAMA_**

**_REMEMBER 10 REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_**


	20. Finally

**Finally **

_January 2, 2014_

Izzy was staring at herself in the full body length mirror. She had on the perfect snow-white dress that had little pearls flowers up and down the breast area and the skirt area. She had little splashes of rosemary pink up and down the skirt of the dress. He hair was half in a ponytail and the other half hung loosely on her shoulders. The best make-up artist in all of Washington did her make-up (since she could afford it, since she was a doctor). Izzy tried to smile, but it just wouldn't come. She kept on thinking about Denny. She loved Alex, she truly did, but there was still that one part of her that longed for Denny. Suddenly there was a small knock at the door and Meredith and Christina walked into the small room looking worried

"You know Izzy…there is a butt load of people out there waiting for you. If you don't get out there now I might just have to make you," commented Christina. Meredith shot her a look and walked over to Izzy.

"Hey Izz. It's going to be all right. Denny wanted you to be happy and you are…just with Alex. This is what Denny would have wanted and this is what you want. Don't think anything else. You love Alex and you need to spend the rest of your life with someone who loves you too,"

Izzy turned to look at Meredith. Her eyes welling up with tears. Meredith smiled and pulled Izzy into a hug.

"Thanks Meredith. I don't know what I would do with out you,"

"Well you're not going to find out if you don't get your little trailer park ass into that chapel,"

Izzy smiled at Christina

"You know Christina, in some messed up twisted way, I know you're saying the exact same thing that Meredith just said",

Christina smiled

"Sure we'll go with that,"

Izzy laughed and hugged Christina too.

"You ready Izz?"

Izzy nodded and Meredith put the white veil over her face.

"There now you're perfect,"

All 3 girls smiled as Meredith and Christina exited the room and into the church. Izzy hung back and took one last look of herself in the mirror. This is what she had pictured when she was with Denny. Her in this exact same dress standing here and looking at herself in the mirror. A small smiled crept across her face. _Meredith is right. Denny would want me to be happy and I will be with Alex. _Taking one last breathe Izzy stepped out of her past and into the future.

---

"Do you Isobel Stevens take Alex Karev to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold? To love and to cherish? In sickness and in health? Till death do you part?"

Izzy looked into Alex's eyes. They're were full of love in caring. He wasn't the same Alex Karev as he was when they were interns. No, this Alex Karev showed love and compassion. Now he was 7/8 the man Denny was instead of ½. Izzy smiled  
"I do,"

"And do you Alex Karev take Isobel Stevens to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold? To love and to cherish? In sickness and in health? Till death do you part?"

Alex looked into Izzy's caring eyes and melted. He loved her like he never loved anyone before. She was strong minded and loving. She never gave up on a patient, even if they were long gone. He knew this wasn't a mistake,

"I do,"

"At this time, Alex and Izzy would like to say a few words…. Alex?"

"Izzy…I knew the first time I met you I loved you. When we met at the mixer over 20 years ago, I feel in love with you. I know I was the biggest ass on the planet and you were right. I was half the man Denny was and I knew I had to change. Seeing you hurt by Denny made me hurt. I wanted to repair you. I wanted to be your night in shining armor. And now I can. Izzy…you're made me the happiest man alive by marrying me today,"

Tears were strolling down Izzy's face after Alex's speech.

"Oh Alex…. I wish I could say the same about you. I never thought the day would come that I would be marrying you. I saw you as the biggest ass and jerk on the planet. Denny opened my eyes and I knew someone loved me. Now that he is gone I'm glad that I got to know the real you. Now I know that you aren't a jerk or an ass…at least as big of one. Now I know that you will never hurt me. I'm yours now…and I'm happy today I am going to be your wife,"

After Izzy's speech, the whole crowd as in tears…even the priest.

"I know pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride,"

Alex swooped up Izzy and kissed her passionately. They turned towards the crowd and everyone started applauding. Holding Izzy, Alex walked down the aisle as everyone cheered for the new couple. Finally, they were married. Finally, the last of the old group was married. Izzy had dreamed of this day for years, and she couldn't have pictured it any more perfect.

**_A/N: So that was the wedding. Surprisingly it was hard to write. It's not perfect…but I think it's pretty good. If you guys want more Alex/Izzy stuff check out my oneshot called: "Together". Now that I got this chapter done…. there will be drama coming up. I won't say with who or what's going to happen…but a while back I got a request for drama and there will be some!!!!!!! THANKS FOR ALL MY REVIEWS LAST TIME…PLZ KEEP THEM COMING!!!_**


	21. Shock

**Ch. 21: Shock**

_**A few years after the wedding: 2016**_

_7:54 a.m_

"C'mon guys we're late!!!! You don't want to be late on your first day of school!!!!"  
Meredith rushed around the kitchen trying to get settled. The storm the night before had knocked out all the power and the alarm clocks didn't get reset. Luckily, Meredith woke up just in time to see that, before she could be even later than she was.

"AUDREY…JACCOB IF YOU DON'T GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW YOU'RE WALKING TO SCHOOL!!!"

Suddenly 2 pairs of feet could be heard from the stairs and Audrey and Jaccob ran into the kitchen.

"Where's breakfast mom?" asked Jaccob

"No time grab that cup there and get in the car. GO!"

Jaccob did as he was told and ran after his sister who was already out of the door. Meredith sighed as she grabbed her coffee and lab coat and ran out of the house. Taking a quick look to see if she forgot anything, she shut the door and ran over to her Explorer throwing everything in. Taking a minute to collect herself, she revved the engine and backed out of the driveway muttering to herself.

"Stupid storm…stupid stupid storm. Then Derek the idiot…god I'm going to kill him. Not getting any sleep because of him and the stupid storm. Boys and storms are stupid, stupid stupid!"

Audrey and Jaccob just exchanged glances. They knew better to interrupt their mom while she was cursing the world.

_8:15_

"Okay, I'd walk you guys in but-"

"MOM! We're in 4th grade! I think we can walk our selves to the door now!" complained Audrey.

"Okay okay I'm sorry. Look have a good day. Dad will be by after school to pick you up. I'm not sure when I'll be home. Love you guys!"

"Love you too mom!"

Meredith blew a kiss to her kids and sped off. She knew she should have walked her kids in, found their classes and explained why they were late; but she was late too and she had a surgery to do. She'd explain later. Entering the highway Meredith's thoughts began to switch from mom to work. She knew she had at least 2 surgeries that day and knew that there would be some kind of Trauma. She that feeling. Suddenly sirens appeared in her rearview mirror.

"CRAP!" she cursed. Meredith pulled over and waited for the officer to drill her about breaking the law. She took this time to put on her lab coat and nametag, hopefully thinking that she could get off easily.

"Do you have any idea how fast you were going back there…_Dr._?"

Meredith sighed

"I'm sorry officer. My alarm clock didn't go off because of the storm. I had to drop off my kids and I was just trying to get to work so I could perform my surgery that starts in…..an hour,"

"I'm sorry ma'am but the law is the law. I'm going to have to give you a ticket. Licensee and registration please,"

Meredith sighed as she gave the officer the needed paper work. _Oh ya just what I need. An all night sex fest, stupid storm knocking out my power, kids being late on the first day of school, and now an ass of an officer giving me a ticket for trying to get to work on time so I can save a person's life! Ya, today is going to be just peachy!_

_8:45_

"YOU"RE LATE!!!"  
"SHUT UP!!!"

"Oh someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,"

Meredith gave Alex the 'shut-up-or-I'll-use-my-scalpel-to-cut-your-brain-open!' look. Meredith quickly changed into her scrubs and ran out of the door almost crashing into Derek.

"Hey, where's the fire?"

"Ha ha very funny. You kept me up all night, which lead to my tiredness, which led to the storm that turned off the freakin alarm, which led to the kids being late on their first day of school, which led to me being ticketed by an officer who was no sympathy for doctors, which is about to lead me to a patient dying if you don't move out of my way. So my day is your fault!"

Meredith smiled at him and ran out of the locker room and towards her patient before he died. Derek smiled as he watched her.

"You know Derek everything seems to be your fault lately," provoked Christina

"Ha, you're just jealous that you and Burke didn't get lucky last night,"

This made Christina slam her locker and walk out of the room, purposely hitting Derek's shoulder on the way out.

_12:00_

"Good job team. Davidson close him up,"

Meredith walked into the scrub room exhausted. Her patient almost died on the table, but she was able to revive him. Letting out a deep breath Meredith closed her eyes. The day had been long and hard, but the surgery was what she needed to get her going, even if it did take 3 hours. Leaving the room she ran into Addison.

"Hey Addison,"

"Oh hey Meredith. I see you've had a long morning,"

Meredith laughed

"Don't ask. Let's just say that it's all Derek's fault,"

Addison joined in on the laughed

"When is it not? You got anything planned this weekend?"

"Other than work no. Why?"

"Mark and I were wondering if you would like to join us for a '2-year-aniverasry-retirement-party' for the Chief. Everyone is going to be there. We're going to start out at La Shamane then move onto Joe's after dinner,"

Meredith laughed

"Why not. As long as you got a babysitter planned for all our kids, I'm in."

Addison chuckled

"Don't worry, everything has been taken care of,"

"Then I'll see you…"

"Saturday 8 o'clock at La Shamane,"

"Saturday 8 La Shamane. Got it,"

Addison's beeper went off followed by Meredith's

"Well got to take this, see you later Meredith,"

"Ya see ya Addi!"

Meredith looked down at her pager and saw that it was from Burke (the Chief). Confused she started running towards the assigned meeting room to see what was up.

_12:10 p.m._

"You paged Bur-"

Meredith stopped in dead sentence as she saw that everyone was in the room crying with the news on. Derek came over and hugged her.  
"Derek…what the hell is going on?"

He just looked at her, tears welling up and pointed at the TV. Letting go of Derek, Meredith walked over to it wondering what happened.

"This morning at exactly 11:48 a.m. a masked man entered Hallen Dale Elementary School off of Westchester Driver. The man began firing gunshots at the administration and made his way down the hall. The school was forced an evacuation as he made his was into the classrooms. A total of 50 students have been shot and 5 faculty members. About 10 people have been killed. The names of the children and facility members have not been released. The shooter is now on the loose and the police are trying to catch him. This is Linda Fing reporting live at Hallen Dale Elementary. Back to you Peter,"

Meredith stared up at the TV. Her kids, her very own kids could have been shot and on the first day of school. Not only her kids but Christina's and George's too. Meredith turned to see everyone crying. Derek came over and hugged her

"This doesn't mean that they were shot. Everything is going to be fine. Everyone is fine. No one has been shot,"

Tears were rolling down Meredith's face.  
"Mer, the victims are coming here. I need everyone on deck for this. If Audrey, Jacc, Christopher, Amelia, Will or Jeremy have been shot, I need you to treat them not as they were your children but as another kid who was admitted here,"

Meredith looked into Burke's eyes and nodded.

"Everything is going to be fine right?"

Burke sighed

"I hope so,"

Everyone joined in a group hug before going out and meeting the ambulances.

_12:30 p.m._

"OKAY GET HIM TO TRAUMA 4 AND PAGE DR. SHEPHERD! BRING THAT KID OVER HERE TO ME AND SEND THAT ONE TO DR. BURKE THE SHE ONE!!"

Meredith was barking orders at the EMT's bringing in the victims. So far she hadn't seen Audrey, Jaccob,Will, Jeremy or Amelia, but she had seen Christopher. She knew that Burke and Christina knew and she prayed that he would be fine. Going over to her patient she let out a small gasp when she saw that it was Audrey. Tears were starting to well up in her eyes but she quickly brushed them away. As Meredith got closer, she saw that blood covered her and there was a visible wound to her daughter's shoulder but at least she was conscious.

"Mommy?"

"Shhh baby doll, everything will be alright. I need you to lie still for me so I can check over you okay?"

Audrey agreed without any resistance.

"What do we got here John?"

"9-year-old Audrey Shepherd with a GSW to her right arm. Also was kicked in the head before being found. BP is normal but has a fever,"

Meredith nodded as she began examining her daughter.  
"Okay sweetie I'm going to send you up to get a CT, you remember that right? Good. I'll be up there shortly. I promise and I love you,"

Meredith watched as her daughter was wheeled away. Fighting back tears she walked over to her next victim. Suddenly shots rang out of no where. Meredith turned to see what was going on and suddenly she was hit with excruciating pain and everything went black.

**_A/N: I don't know if this is considered drama...but i needed something like this in there. This was really hard to write and I still don't like the way I did it. Please Review!!!! I'm off the nxt wk for THANKSGIVING!!!! so hopefully that will mean more updates!!!! (Did u c the promo for thrusday??OMG!!!!!!! and i can't belive i missed the Oprah segment...i am so kicking myself!)_**


	22. The sky is falling

**Chapter 22: The Sky is falling and there is nothing you can do**

Derek ran his fingers through his hair for about the fifth time that day. He had just finished telling the family of an 8-year-old girl that she needed surgery and the chances of her surveying were slim to none. He didn't understand what made a person going into a school and starting shooting at innocent people. It astounded Derek how a complete stranger took out his own anger on several innocent kids; one being his own. Seeing an empty chair by the nurses' station Derek plopped down. He hadn't seen Meredith all day and he knew that she was as swamped as he was. Taking a deep breath Derek tried to clear his mind. He needed to process what had happened in the last several hours. He knew that his daughter had come in with a GSW to the right shoulder and minor head trauma but that's all he knew since he wasn't on the case. Family members' treating family members wasn't a good idea; but he just wish he could see her. Derek's pager snapped him from his thoughts. Looking down it he saw it was from Bailey. It didn't say anything else, just to meet her in room 2291 in the ICU. _Probably needs a consult and Mer is too busy_ thought Derek as he forced himself up and started walking down the hall towards his next patient, not knowing he was in for a big surprise.

--

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T SEE HER? YOU DRAGGED ME DOWN HERE TO TELL ME I CAN'T SEE MY OWN WIFE??"

"Derek calm down!"

"CALM DOWN? MIRANDA MY WIFE IS IN THERE HOOKED UP TO ALL KINDS OF TUBES AND SHE'S ON LIFE SUPPORT. NOT TO MENTION SHE NEEDS SEVERAL SURGIERS! YOU HONELSTY WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?"

"FINE DON'T CALM DOWN…BUT WHEN YOUR WIFE WAKES UP FROM HER COMA WITH ALL THIS SHOUTING…DON'T BLAME ME WHEN SHE GOES INTO CARDIAC ARREST BECAUSE OF ALL THE STRESS!"

This made Derek shut up. He looked back into the room where Meredith lay. She looked like one of his patient's with all the life support tubes hooked up but she wasn't one of his patients…she was his wife.

"Audrey has been looking for you and Meredith,"

Derek looked at Bailey. "What?" she sighed.

"Derek she's scared. Audrey is scared half to death because She hasn't seen her parents in over 2 hours and after this incident she needs someone rather than doctors. She needs her parents,"

Derek looked at Bailey. Her eyes were full of scared and worry since she also had a son who was almost a victim in the shooting. Without saying a word, Derek turned and started down the hall. Bailey was right. He had two kids who were scared half to death. One of them was probably crying her eyes out and scared since complete strangers were poking and prodding her. How could of he forgotten his own daughter? Walking into the nearest elevator Derek slumped down on the floor. He didn't care who saw him; he needed to think things through. He heard someone slump down next to him

"You okay?"

Derek shook his head. He didn't want to talk to anyone, especially Christina.

"McDreamy you're not very McDreamy right now. You're more like McShitty,"

Derek looked up at her

"Thanks," he mumbled. Christina sighed

"Derek, I heard about Meredith and Audrey. I'm sorry I truly am. I'm not going to be that doctor who tells the patient's family that she knows how they feel because I don't. But I can almost understand how hard this is for you. You're daughter got shot and you're wife got shot. You're world is probably crumbing inside you're head. But Derek you can't think about it that way. You need to be strong for Aud and Jacc because they're more scared than you are. You need to be strong for Mer because she could wake up any minute now with an incubator down her throat and scared. You need to be strong for everyone and for yourself."

The elevator dinged open just as Christina finished her little speech.

"This is me. I'll be up later to check on Mer and the kids. Let me know if anything changes," she gave him a quick smile and exited the elevator. Derek's head began racing with thoughts again as the elevator started to move. _Christina is right. I need to be strong not only for my family but also for me. _The elevator dinged open into the Pediatric Unit. He looked up into the open doors and the few doctors and nurses' that were staring at him. Him, the best neurosurgeon in the country was cowering in an elevator scared. He stood up, brushed him self off and walked out of the elevator and down the hall, ignoring everyone who was staring at him. Acting like he knew where he was going he took a left at the end of the hall then a right. Taking a quick look behind his shoulder he did a U-turn and backtracked towards the nurses' station.

"Dr. Shepherd," one of the nurses' nodded.

"I need to know where my daughter is," he whispered. The nurse looked up from her chart and gave him a 'naughty' look.

"Dr. Shepherd, are you telling me you don't know what room your own daughter is in?" the nurse played astonished. Derek rolled his eyes

"Look I have no time for this. Tell me her room number, give me her damn chart and I'll be out of your way," he snapped. The nurse rolled her eyes and handed him Audrey's chart.

"Thank you," he whispered walking away.

"Doctors," muttered then nurse as she went back to her paper work.

As Derek walked down the hall he flipped through the chart skimming it. If someone walked down the hall and spotted him, they would of thought he was having a seizure. His eyes kept on flipping back and forth between relived and shocked. Miraculously Derek ended up in front of Audrey's door. Taking a deep breath he knocked twice and entered. He saw a nurse checking up on her and Audrey was sound asleep. The nurse looked up to see Derek in there and she smiled and walked out. Derek walked towards Audrey and sat down in the nearest chair. He took in his daughter for the first time in a while. She looked exactly like him. His wavy and messy brown hair sat atop her head and draped down to her shoulders. His skin tone ran through her own. She was lucky, not like Mer who whenever she had to go outside, sunscreen had to be applied, she tanned like her father. Thinking of Meredith brought tears to Derek's eyes.

"Daddy?"

Derek shot up when he heard his daughter's voice. It was small but audible.

"Audrey? Honey?"

Audrey looked tired and pale but that was expected from a 9-year-old girl who got shot on the first day of school.

"Daddy…am I going to die?"

Derek looked at his daughter with care in his eyes.

"N-no honey…you're not going to die,"

Tears were welling up in Derek's eyes. He turned away from Audrey so she wouldn't see him.

"Am-Am I'm going to need surgery?"

Derek turned back to Audrey. He saw that she didn't want to be babied the answer, she wanted it straight out.

"Yes baby, you're going to need surgery in your brain. It's going to be a routine procedure that your mom and I do everyday. As you know there are risks to surgeries but there is a good chance…a very good chance that nothing is going to happen,"

Audrey turned away. She hated the thought of surgery even if she mom and dad were the top surgeons in the country.

"Are…are you going to do it?"

Derek couldn't look into Audrey's eyes. How was he going to tell her that her own father couldn't perform surgery on his own daughter?

"Daddy? Dad?"

A lone tear ran down Derek's cheek.

"N-no honey I c-can't do the surgery. B-..But I will be right there in the room with you. I'll be standing right next to you. I promise nothing will happen to you,"

Audrey started to sob. Derek couldn't take it anymore. He stood up, squeezed her hand and ran out of the room. He didn't know where he was going but he had to go somewhere.

"Derek? D-Derek where are you going? DEREK!"  
He heard Burke call his name but he couldn't stop. His wife and daughter were going to have surgery and he couldn't do anything to help them. He wanted to run and hide. He didn't want a surgery to calm him down, he didn't want someone to comfort him. All he wanted to do was to run and hide because his world was crashing down on him.

**_A/N: I'm a loss for words after the episode. I'm sorry this is kinda a filler...nxt chapter will explain more. I hate how the updates aren't working!!!!!! so read, review, and enjoy!_**


	23. When will my life end?

**Ch. 23: When will my life end?**

Jacc sat at Audrey's bed staring at her. He knew his dad had been in here earlier but he didn't get to catch him. He was scared more than anyone was since he didn't know what was going to happen to his sister and he hadn't seen any of his parents all day. Looking at his sister brought tears to his eyes. She had always been the strong one in the family and he had been the scaredy cat. Everyone always compared him to George while they compared Audrey to Christina. Jacc felt a small touch on his shoulder and he whipped around to see Izzy standing behind him.

"Aunt Izzy…. you-you scared me,"

Izzy let a smile forced smile come across her face but it soon faded.

"What are you doing here bud? Shouldn't you be…."

Jacc turned away from her "Where? Trying to find out where my parents are because I haven't seen them all day? If they're too busy to come check on their own daughter…then…then I'm too busy to see them!"

Jacc got up and ran out of the room, tears running down his cheeks. He ran past nurse's and doctors who were staring at him. Izzy watched him leave and let out a deep sigh. She took a look at Audrey and tucked a small strand of her brown hair behind her ear. Looking down on her niece made tears come to her eyes. She knew that she was scared and had no idea what was going to happen to her. She knew that she had no idea that her mother was just a floor away in a coma showing now signs of improvement. Sighing, she planted a small kiss on her forehead and walked out of the room and into the busy hallway, trying to figure out which way Jacc went. She had an idea where he was, but she didn't want to bother him. Not now anyway. He need space and time to think. Those two things were what everyone needed lately, but there just wasn't enough time anymore.

---

Jacc ran down hallways having no clue where he was going. All he knew was that he wanted to get away from everyone since they kept on scaring him even more. Seeing a door that wasn't a patient room, he quickly wrenched it open to find himself outside. Somehow he had made it to the roof of the hospital and he wasn't about to ask how. Looking around he saw the dark Seattle clouds form as the wind began to pick up as the sun began to set. Surveying the roof, he saw a figure sitting near the ledge facing towards the sea. Staring at the figure for a few moments he began to advance towards it. Finally, only being a few feet away, Jacc could make out the strange figure; it was Derek.

"Dad?" he whispered.

Derek turned around and Jaccob looked into his lifeless eyes. His father's face had lost it's color and life. His hair was sticking up in odd places and his eyes were red and puffy.

"Hey bud. What are you doing up here?" he asked, trying to sound like nothing was wrong.

Jacc looked at his dad and sat down next too him.

"I couldn't take it anymore. You and mom not being with Audrey, everyone telling me that it's all going to be okay. Dad…what if Audrey dies?"

Derek looked at his son. He had no clue that Meredith was also admitted and was in worse condition than his sister. He knew that if they kept that news from him any longer, that Jacc might do the unthinkable, but he also didn't want him to break down and start yelling. Derek was stuck and he needed Meredith to help him.

"Jaccob, Audrey isn't going to die. She just needs surgery and her arm will heal thanks to Aunt Callie. But, there is something I need to tell you and I don't know how,"

Jaccob tried to read Derek's face but at that point he was unreadable.

"Dad…you're scaring me. Just tell me because if you don't tell me now I'll find out and I will never forgive you for not telling me. Besides, whatever it is, it can't get worse than it already is,"

Derek looked into his son's eyes, but instead of seeing Jaccob Fredrick Shepherd, he saw the young intern Meredith Grey. He saw his love of his life who was not laying helpless in a hospital bed., but was running labs for him, and always had a smile on her face. Derek took a deep breath before procedding.

"Jaccob, your…your mother was also shot this morning. The alleged shooter came to the hosptial after leaving the school and started shooting. Your mother was hit several times and was knocked unconisous. Right now she is in a coma and is too unstable to operate on. I'm sorry that you haven't heard anything on her and that you had to hear this now."

Jacc couldn't believe what he has hearing. His mother…the second best neurosurgeon in the country was in a coma and no one had told him? Jacc got up with out saying a word and walked around to the other side of the roof. Derek watched him go; knowing that he needed space for everything to sink in. Watching him walk away Derek was pulled back into doctor mode when his thoughts were interrupted by his pager. Tearing his eyes away from his son, he looked and saw that it was about Meredith. Jumping up, he walked over to his son who was sitting on the edge and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Hey Jacc, they just paged me about your mom. Do you wanna come?"

Jaccob shook his head

"Why?" he asked staring at the skyline " I'm just going to see her die right in front of me,"

Derek was about to retort when he was paged again; this time about Audrey.

"Jaccob I need you to come with me please. I can't be in two places at once so I need you go to down and tell one of the nurses to page Dr. Mitchell and get him in Audrey's room. Then I need you to stay there until I get there. Okay? Do you understand me? This is not an option Jaccob, this is an order."  
Jaccob was about to argue with Derek but instead he nodded and got up and followed Derek down the stairs into the hospital each of them going their separate ways, to save their beloved family members.

---

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE?" Derek roared as he entered Meredith's room. Every kind of doctor was in there, scrambling around Meredith. She was having a Grand Mal seizure and it looked like none of them knew that they were doing.

"OKAY I NEED EVERYONE TO SHUT THE HELL UP AND LISTEN TO ME!"

The room suddenly went silent expect for the beeping of Meredith's monitors and then the sound of a flat line.

"Okay push one of epee! NOW!"

The nurse pushed the medicine into Meredith's IV line,

"Not working Dr. Shepherd,"

"Okay then charge the paddles to 200….ready? CLEAR!"

Meredith's torso rose of the bed then lay back on the bed; she was still flat lining.

"CHARGE TO 300…CLEAR!"

Again no change.  
"DAMN IT MEREDITH! CHARGE TO 360…CLEAR!"

Finally Meredith came back, but her heart rate was still rapid

"Push one of epee and _medical_ her _medical_,"

"Medicine in Dr. Shepherd and her heart rate is coming down,"

Derek let out a big breath.

"Okay I we need to get her down for a CT. I need to know what is causing her to seize and why she is in a coma. Dr. Ling I will need you to do that. Page me when you get the results. I will be with my daughter if any of you need me."

Derek handed the chart over to the intern and walked out of the room and almost into Richard.

"Richard…what…what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in retirement?"

Richard smiled

"I thought you knew me better Derek. The doctor who I love like a daughter was admitted and is having Grand Mal seizures not to mention is in a coma. Did you really think I would sit back and watch this happen?"

Derek let out a small smile

"No I guess not. But walk with me. I'm going to go check on Audrey,"

"She was shot too?"

Derek nodded as he entered the elevator

"Oh Derek I'm so sorry,"

Derek nodded and looked up at the elevator's numbers. He really didn't feel like talking,

"Derek talk to me,"

"Richard with all due respect, I've done enough talking. Can do it later?"

Richard nodded as the elevator opened and both men stepped outside. The nurse's parted as they let Derek and the former chief walk through. Walking through the doorway of his daughter's romm Derek stopped dead in his tracks.

"WOULD ANY ONE LIKE TO TELL ME WHERE THE HELL MY DAUGHTER IS?" he yelled for the second time that day. A nurse came scrambling in.

"Dr. Shepherd, we tried to page you but-"

"BUT I WAS WITH MY FREAKIN WIFE BECAUSE IN CASE YOU DIDN'T NOTCIE SHE'S ALSO HERE!"  
"Derek calm down,"

Derek listened to the chief and turned towards the nurse trying not to yell

"Now where is my daughter?"

"Like I was trying to tell you Dr. Shepherd, she was taken to surgery. She started to bleed out and needed surgery right away,"

Derek turned and started to run towards the OR. He didn't care who was yelling at him. He had promised his daughter that he was going to be there when she had surgery and he would never forgive himself she died on the table.

**_A/N: I've been wanting to post this FOREVER!!! But fanfic wouldn't let me!!! So here it is. The long awaited Ch. 23. Thanks to all those ppl who were fateful to me while ff was down: LostKaty, Lily106, my1anjel, Jen, britany, tayababy, and katie. Love you guys!!!!! So you guys know the drill. Push that little button down there to make my day!!! 3 or more reviews gets you a new chapter!!!! And check out my new fic: Where did my life go? It follows Burke and Christina after 309!!! D_**


	24. Finsh Line

**Chapter 24: Finish Line**

**_Disclamer: I don't own Snow Patrol although if I ever became rich that would be the second thing I would buy...right behind Grey's Anatomy._ **

_Derek I can't allow you to be near the OR while Meredith and Audrey are being operated on. I'm ordering you to go home for 6 hour and if one of them comes out of surgery before that then I'll have someone call you. But I don't want you back here until 6 hours are up. You need to sleep. What you're doing to your self isn't healthy and I can't have my 2 million-dollar surgeon looking like crap. Now go home!_

Derek was pacing his bedroom and was staring at the floor. Every 5 minutes he would steal a glance over to his clock. He didn't care that time was moving so slow, he just wanted to make sure that it hadn't stopped. The Chief's speech kept on ringing in his ears. He couldn't argue with him or else he would be put on suspension (even thought he wasn't the Chief anymore, and he was filling in for Burke, he could still do that) so he took a leave for the day; even if it was already the next day (1 am). But he couldn't sleep. Sleep was the farthest thing from his mind. Sleep and food. Ever since the shooter came and just about took his wife and daughter's life away, sleep and food became unimportant. He didn't want to do anything but to be next to his favorite girls. All noise was blocked out of his head and everything pictures except for Meredith and Audrey.

_The Earth is warm next to my ear_

_Insect noise is all that I can hear_

Jaccob came over and stood in the doorway. He couldn't stand seeing his dad like this. This wasn't his father who always had a smile on his face. This wasn't his father who always played with him when he came home from work. This wasn't his father who always helped him with his homework and always had a hug and a kiss ready for him and his sister when he came home. No this man was a stranger in his house. A person who Jaccob did not know. This was not the Derek Shepherd he knew and loved.

_A magic trick makes the world disappear_

_The skies are dark, they're dark but they're clear_

Derek was on his millionth lap around his room when the phone rang. He jumped about 10 feet in the air and looked up from the floor. He saw Jaccob standing at his door with a worried look on his face. Derek tried to smile, but he couldn't. Lately a smile wasn't the expression on his face. He wanted to smile, but the shooter took that will away. He walked over to his son and gave him a big hug

"I'm sorry bud. I know you love them and so do I. Let's hope this is Uncle Richard calling to tell us that they're okay…okay?"

Jaccob nodded as he followed his father into his room. Jumping on the bed Jaccob stared at his father. Derek looked into Jaccob's eyes. He saw Meredith looking back at him and tears began welling up. His love of his life was lying on a cold table vulnerable to the world. He couldn't stand it. If this wasn't the Chief then he was going to jump in his car and drive as fast as he could to see her and Audrey because he couldn't take it anymore. Taking a deep breath Derek picked up the receiver.

"H-Hello?" choked Derek

"Derek? It's me Richard. How ya doing? You did get some sleep right?"

Derek looked over and Jaccob. He could tell he was hanging onto every word Derek said

"Uh, ya chief… I mean Richard I got some sleep. So…is everything all right?"

_A distant motorcade and suddenly there is joy_

_The snow and tickertape blurs all my senses numb_

Richard laughed

"Yes Derek everything is fine. I just wanted to let you know that Audrey came out of surgery and she is back in recovery. I told you that I called you if one of them came out before the 6-hour mark was up and Audrey did. As far as I know her surgery was a success. You can come and see her now since you are a doctor,"

Derek sighed a huge sigh of relief. He looked over at Jaccob to see tears in his eyes

"Audrey just came out of surgery bud! She's going to be all right. Uncle Richard said that we can go and see her right now if we would like,"

Jaccob tired to choke back the tears of joy

"A-and m-mom?"

Derek came back into reality. Sure his little girl was alright, but what about his wife.

"Richard, I am ecstatic that Audrey is okay but I need to know about Meredith,"

The line was silent for a few minutes

"Derek… I'm sorry but…

_It's like the finish line where everything just ends_

_The crack of radios seems close enough to touch_

"I haven't heard any word on Meredith. Trust me I want to know to but you really need to come down here. Audrey is going to be wondering where her father is and why he broke his promise,"

"You know about the promise?"

"Derek you know how fast gossip travels around the hospital. I'll tell the nurses to let you in when you get here,"

Derek closed his eyes and sighed

"Thanks Richard for everything,"

"No problem Derek,"

_Cold air cleans my wounds _

_A side parade with a single balloon. _

Derek hung up the phone and turned towards Jaccob.

"Let's go visit your sister,"

---

"D-Daddy?"

Audrey opened her eyes to see Derek and Jaccob sitting by her bed. Derek burst into tears for the 5th time that day.

"Oh baby girl I am so glad to see you,"

Audrey smiled

"I-I'm okay right? I'm not going to die,"

Derek smiled a real smile for once

"No baby girl, you're not going to die. If you're lucky you might get to go home this week!"

Audrey smiled

"That would be nice,"  
Derek nodded

"It would wouldn't it?"

Audrey looked over and saw Jaccob crying

"Boys aren't supposed to cry,"

"They are when their sister and their mom have been put into surgery,"

Suddenly the room went quite. Audrey's face went stone cold and her all color drained from her face

"What? M-Mom is in surgery? Dad you never told me that!"  
Derek looked away. He couldn't stand telling a lie to his daughter

"I'm sorry honey, but your mother was also shot yesterday in the ER by the same guy who shot you,"

Audrey began to cry

"Please –just- go," she gasped

"But baby,"

"GO!"

Derek and Jaccob got up and left Audrey crying

"I'm sorry dad, I didn't know that she didn't know,"

Derek looked down at Jaccob. He knew that he didn't mean to

"It's okay bud, but just check with me before you say anything okay?"

Jaccob nodded.

_I'm done with this, I'm counting to ten _

_Blue as seas, running to them_

A random nurse came up to Derek and Jaccob as they walked down the hall

"Dr. Shepherd?"

Derek recognized the nurse as one of the scrub nurses

"Yes Nurse Allsion?"

"Dr. Webber told me to find you and tell you that Dr. Shepherd is out of surgery and is being brought up to the ICU,"

Derek couldn't move. His wife was out of surgery and was being moved.

"T-Thank you," he managed to get out

The nurse nodded and began to leave

"Oh and Allsion!"

The nurse stopped and turned around

"Yes?"

"Do you know if she's okay?"

The nurses' face dropped

"I'm sorry Dr. Shepherd…Dr. Webber told me not to tell you anything else,"

Derek nodded and she left. He stood there for a minute thinking about what just happened

"D-Dad? Are we going to go see mom?"

Derek looked down at Jaccob

"Sure Jacc, let's go see mom,"

_I feel like I'm watching everything from space _

_And in a minute I hear my name and I wake_

Derek, Jaccob, and Audrey entered the ICU an hour later. Because he was head nuero Derek was able to take Audrey out of her room to see her mother. They entered quietly and walked over to her bed. Meredith laid there, still incubated with all kinds of wires and tubes connected to her. He was glad that she was alive, but he didn't know for how long. Derek felt a small touch on his shoulder. He turned around to see Addison and Richard standing behind him. They motioned him to follow them. Derek turned to see the kids sitting with Meredith and he walked out.

"So…what happened in the OR? Is she going to wake anytime soon or is she going to die because she is brain dead?" demand Derek

Richard took a deep breath

"Derek, there were extensive damages done to her. The shooter wanted her dead obviously. She had many blood clots and she should have been dead. Dr. Wilson went in and removed everything that he could. As you may know, she might need more surgeries. We're expecting her to wake up either tonight or tomorrow. If not, we have to pronounce her brain dead. There is nothing going on to assume that she is still alive,"

Derek began to cry. He wanted to crawl up into a small space and just kill himself. If wife, the love of his life, could be brain dead!

"Derek there is one more thing,"

Derek looked up to see Addison, beginning to talk. But before she could finish Jaccob and Audrey began to scream. Everyone ran into Meredith's room to see that she had woken. Everyone stood there, in shock to see the 'young' doctor awake and fighting the incubation. Suddenly Derek realized that she couldn't breath and tore the incubator out of her trachea. Meredith took a big deep breath and looked into his eyes.

"T-t-"

Derek put a finger up to her lips

"Shhh…don't try to speak. You need to rest. It's amazing that you woke up so quickly,"

Meredith nodded and looked around. She saw everyone in her room crying and she began to cry. Derek turned towards Richard and hugged him

"Thank you," he whispered in his ear. Richard pulled away and looked at Derek

"Don't thank me. Thank Dr. Wilson, he saved her life,"

Derek nodded and to make a mental note to thank the doctor the next time he saw him. For a second, Derek almost forgot that Addison was in the room.

"Oh, Addison what did you want to tell me,"

Addison looked at Meredith then at Derek.

"Well Derek, during surgery Dr. Wilson and Dr. Bailey noticed something. Well… it turns out that Meredith is pregnant…again."

_I think the finish line is a good place we could start _

_Take a deep breath, take in all that you could want. _

_**A/N: Okay so this was a song chapter. It's from Snow Patorl's newest CD: Eyes open. So yes...i'm sure I scared loads of you...which was my plan. I'm just hoping I won't see any death threats soon. Um...this was really hard to write. My orgingal plan was to kill Audrey...but i knew that u guys would really kill me...so i decided not to...instead I made Mer preganat agian! So yes...everyone survied and is well...even Mer's baby if any of you are wondering. Remeber 3+ reviews gets u a new chapter!!!! LIVE. LOVE. REVIEW!**_


	25. Finding Out

**Ch. 25: Finding Out**

Christina emerged from OR 3 with a good feeling. She had just spent 12 hours in the there, and the patient had lived. Now she knew all that ass whoopin when she was an intern had finally paid off. As she was scrubbing out, the door of the scrub room opened, and Burke entered with a tired look on his face, but with a smile.

"That was great babe," he said kissing her on the forehead. Christina rolled her eyes and grabbed the paper towel.

"What the hell bit you in the ass?" she asked

Burke smiled

"Well, in addition to my wife performing one of the best surgeries ever…"

"Burke if you don't cut the 'McDreamy-were-madly-in-love-sick-couple-people' act I'll kill you, literally,"

Burke laughed

"Well, looks like that surgery put you in a good mood,"

"Damn right it did," answered Christina getting more and more irritated as she walked out of the scrub room.

"Ok, I'll tell you...only because you asked so nicely,"

Christina gave him another death look

"Okay okay… While you were in surgery I got a page from Shepherd…"

"And??? Burke I swear, I will kick your ass here in a second if you don't tell me what the hell is going on!"

"Meredith's awake,"

Christina stopped dead in her tracks, glared at Burke, then ran down the hall, making a mental note to kill him later.

---

Meredith lay fast asleep in her bed with Derek sitting besides her reading an article in 'Seattle's Medical Journal Magazine'. Ever since she had awaken, he had sat there, reading pointless medical journals to her to keep him busy. He hadn't been back to work in the last 3 days and he wasn't planning on it either. Derek had not left Meredith's side unless to go check on Audrey (which he spent 3 hours a day with her by either by her bed or in pt). He loved to be by his family, but it brought sadness to his heart. Jaccob was also feeling the blues with his mother slowly recovering and his sister struggling in physical therapy. He knocked once on Meredith's door and entered with Audrey in tow. Derek looked up and smiled.

"Hey guys. How did Physical Therapy go?"

Audrey smiled

"Aunt Callie said that my arm is healing and that I can get this stupid cast off in a couple of weeks,"

Derek hugged his daughter

"That's great and what did Jenny say?"

The smile was quickly replaced with a small frown

"I'm not making much progress. I need to continue with the ball and try to write everyday,"

Derek chuckled

"Recovery is hard Aud. It takes time. Trust me I know,"

Audrey nodded

"How's mom doing?"

Derek looked over at Meredith

"Nothing has changed. She's going to need another surgery if she doesn't show any signs of improvement by tomorrow. She just went back to sleep,"

The kids nodded and turned to leave

"Hey where are you guys going?"

Audrey and Jaccob exchanged looks

"Uh…to go see Aunt…uh Emily?"

Derek eyed them for a sec

"Fine, just page me when you're going to leave. If you need anything I'll be here,"

They both turned and left, exchanging guilty faces. They couldn't tell their father where they were going because technically they were supposed to be there, but they had never lied to him before, and that wasn't that easy to do. Derek watched his kids go. He knew they weren't going to go see Emily, but at that point, as long as they didn't go into an OR, Gallery, or get in any doctor's or patient's way, then he didn't mind. But he knew, if Mer had ever found out that he let their kids go run around the hospital, he would be sleeping on the couch. Laughing at that picture in his mind he returned back to his article, which wasn't that interesting. Suddenly the door flew open and slammed close.

"WHEN DID SHE WAKE UP AND HOW COME I WASN'T INFORMED!?"

Christina stood in the doorway enraged. She was Meredith's person and she hadn't been informed that her best friend had waken up? Derek sat there for a minute trying to get over the shock

"MCDREAMY IF YOU DON'T ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW…"

"SHUT UP! SHE'S GOING TO WAKE UP BECAUSE OFALL THE YELLING AND GO INTO SHOCK! SHE'S STILL VERY WEAK AND CAN'T HANDLE THIS!"

Christina glared at him

"Fine, but that doesn't mean that I'm not mad,"

Derek looked at her like she was crazy

"Well sorry but you of all people should know how fast gossip travels around here. We didn't want the whole hospital by her bed everyday. Only me, the kids, her doctors, and a few visitors are allowed,"

Christina softened up a bit as Derek explained

"Okay fine, but when did she wake?"

Derek sighed

"About 3 days ago. But she's only awake for about 30 minutes at a time. She's weak and gets a CAT scan and a MRI everyday to see if there is anything wrong. So far nothing, but if she doesn't get stronger soon, they're going to go in and cut…blind."

Christina stared at Meredith. She did look pale and weak. This wasn't the normal Meredith who was bright and shiny over the past 10 years. This didn't even look like dark and twisty Meredith. This was dead and lifeless Meredith, who was foreign to all of them.

"How's Chris and Amelia doing?"

Christina shook her head getting out of her daydream and faced Derek.

"They're getting over the shock. The school is reopening in a week, so they'll be going back. Amelia is being a little slow because of her condition, but she's recovering. How about Jacc and Audrey?"

Derek sighed

"Callie told Audrey that she could get the cast off in 2 weeks, but Audrey also said that Jenny told her to keep on exercising her hand with the ball and write more, so I have a feeling it will be more like 6 more weeks,"

Christina smiled

"Jacc will probably go back to school next week, but Audrey the week after so she can continue her pt without the first week of school stress,"

Christina nodded. Meredith began to stir and Christina's eyes and Derek's darted towards her. Meredith's eyes flickered opened and saw Christina standing there.

"Chris-"

Tears were coming to Christina's eyes

"Shhh, don't talk Mer. Everything's going to be fine. You'll be out of here soon, saving lives soon. Trust me. You're doing fine,"

Meredith smiled.

_Will everyone stop telling me that I'm doing fine? If I was doing fine would I be laying here with my ass in this freakin uncomfortable bed, being prodded with all kinds of needles and being forced to go into 2 machines everyday only for them to find nothing wrong with me? If I was fine, you wouldn't be here on the verge of tears with Derek. You would be kicking some intern's ass and I would be right beside you! If I was doing fine, I would be able to talk, instead of only saying a word a day. So no I am not fine, SO STOP TELLING MET THAT I'M FINE!_

Derek came over and stroked her hair

"Don't worry, we'll figure out what's wrong with you, even if I have to go in and kick everyone's ass so I can do it myslef. And nobody knows yet about you, except Christina Burke Audrey Jaccob, a few doctors, and me,"

Meredith nodded, and drifted back to sleep

Whenever I get the hell out of this place, I'm going to kick everyone's ass so hard, that they won't even know it.

--

"Jacc we're not supposed to be up here. If dad ever found out, we'd be grounded….FOR LIFE!"

Audrey and Jaccob were sitting in OR 2's gallery watching Alex perform surgery with an intern. Luckily, there was no one in there so they were safe, until someone found out.

"Relax Audrey, this was your idea anyway, so why are you worrying?"

"Oh I don't know maybe because either Uncle Alex here could look up and see us, Bailey could come in, Uncle Richard could come in, or Aunt Christina could come in and report us to dad!"

Jaccob rolled his eyes

"Fine then lets go,"

He stood up and began heading for the door

"No wait. He's getting to the good part!"

Jaccob rolled his eyes

"AUDREY! Make up your mind! Do you want to go back to Dad and watch him be miserable or stay here?"

Audrey bit her lip

"I guess….stay here. I mean….what can go wrong?"

"Oh, lots of things can go wrong, starting with me reporting you to your dad!"

Audrey and Jaccob turned around to see George standing behind them.

"U-Uncle George what are you doing here?"

George eyed them,

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same?"

Audrey and Jaccob smiled sweetly

"C'mon let's get you back to your room Audrey. You know you're not supposed to be walking around,"

"BUT I'M FINE! Why do you guys keep me in that room when I'm fine?"

"We just want to make sure of that,"

The three of them walked down the stairs and started towards the hall

"You're not going to tell our dad are you?" asked Jaccob

George looked down at them and sighed

"You guys aren't allowed up there, but no I won't tell them. Just be lucky Bailey didn't catch you or else you would be answering to your father,"

Jaccob and Audrey smiled

"Have we mentioned how much we love you George?"

George rolled his eyes

"Lets just get you back to your dad okay?"

"Fine,"

The three of them walked into an empty elevator and slid against the wall

"So how's your mom doing?"

Jaccob sighed

"Not improving much. She wakes up for about 5-30 minutes, then falls back asleep. They still don't know what's wrong with her. Dad says that they'll have to do a blind cut surgery if she doesn't improve by tomorrow,"

George stared at Jaccob for a while, letting the elevator doors open

"Uncle George?"

"Y-Your mother is awake?"

Jaccob and Audrey exchanged looks as they stood up

"Ya, for 3 days now. Didn't you know?"

"NO! What the hell? I need to page Izzy, Christina, Alex, and Bailey! Why didn't your dad tell any of us?"

The kids shrugged

"We thought you knew,"

George ran out of the elevator doors to the nearest nurse's office

"Uncle Georgie, don't you think that our dad didn't tell you guys for a reason?"

George didn't listen,

"Can you page both Dr. Karev's, Dr. Bailey, and Dr. Christina Burke please and tell them to meet me in Dr. Shepherd's room?"

then nurse nodded and began dialing

"Uncle George!"

"Guys listen, we knew your mother since we were interns. We've always been there for each other and especially for her. Right now she needs us more than ever, and your dad should know that,"

The kids nodded, they just hoped they knew what George was doing.

**_A/N: Yes filler, not that exciting. Thank you for ALL your reviews! I love you guys...i just hope I didn't scare any of you away ( and I saw that I didn't D). I read all these other fanfics and they update like everyday. I used to be like that...but high school has taken over me. Midterms are coming up...so less and less updates. I've also had writer's block, that's why a lot of them are fillers. Um...X-mas break is coming up...so hopefully I'll have more updates by then...but for right now...once a wk is it. SORRY! PEACE, LOVE, and REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!_**

**_p.s: can u belive GA isn't going to be back till January 4th???? That like takes my life away!!! '( _**

**_pps: If you guys get a chance...check out my newest fic: Where did my life go? It's post 309 and kinda follows the show. I'll try to update that by the end of the weekend to!_**


	26. Pain and Love go Hand in Hand

**Chapter 26: Pain and Love Go Hand in Hand**

Meredith woke up a few days later, she saw practically the whole surgical unit by her bed. She was taken back for a second, but then started to laugh.

"Well what do I owe this surprise to?"

Everyone was silent and was looking at Meredith.

"What?"

Derek was the first to speak up

"Y-You're talking. Yesterday you were just doing small words but now your forming sentences and making sense. You're…almost Meredith again,"

Meredith started to laugh  
"I've always been Meredith, just silent and mentally unstable for a few days. But I haven't changed. Unless…there is something that you guys aren't telling me,"

Meredith's smile went away as she scanned everyone's face. They were all full of news that they didn't want to tell.

"Derek, if you don't tell me right now, I swear I will get our of this bed and kick your ass…personally,"

Tears were starting to fill his eyes.

"Derek Shepherd, I swear I will-"

"You've got another tumor that may be cancerous on the occipital lobe of you brain that is pressing up against your spine. The doctors need to run more tests to confirm if it is cancer, but either way they need to operate ASAP," Christina spoke up.

Meredith just stared at them all.

"Why?"

Everyone was taken back

"What do you mean why Meredith?" asked Addison

Meredith sighed

"I've been in and out on consciousness for the past 5 days. I've hardly been able to communicate with my kids, especially with the one who was also affected by the shooting. I've now woken up, being able to speak, which is almost a medical miracle in it's self, and now you guys want to tell met that I may have a tumor in my head that will cause blindness and paralization if they don't operate? And if they do I may still be blind and paralyzed? Oh and don't forget that it may be cancerous too!"

The room was silent. Meredith just shook her head

"Just go,"

"But Mer,"

"OUT…NOW!"

The room slowly filed out, except Christina and Derek who stayed back

"I said out. I'm a patient and you can't deny my wishes and my rights. GO!"

Christina squeezed Meredith's shoulder and left with a few tears falling from her cheek, but Derek didn't budge

"Derek go!"

"Mer I'm not leaving,"

"Derek if you don't go right now…"

"What Mer what? You're acting like this everyone's fault; especially mine. Trust me, I've already been through that stage. What if I had been there when you got shot? What if I had pushed you out of the way and saved you? What if I had operated on you, then maybe you wouldn't be sitting here with a possibility of cancer, which as you know, is very had to cure? What if everything Mer? Trust me I know should have been there for you, but I wasn't. So please, don't blame this on me, you, or anyone else but that guy who decided to pull that trigger and tried to kill you,"  
Derek was gasping in between tears. Meredith just sat there, staring up at him, looking for words.  
"Derek I wasn't trying to blame everyone. I just want you to go. Please? I need time to think this over,"  
Derek nodded and headed towards the door

"Do you want to see the kids?"

Meredith looked over to him

"Do they know?"

Derek nodded

"Not now, not for a while,"  
He nodded again, and opened the door,

"Oh and Meredith,"

"Hmmm?"

"I love you,"

He closed the door behind him, closed his eyes, and started to cry and deep and painful cry. Inside the room, Meredith was also crying, not only for what she has to go through, but also for what all her friends and family will have to go through too.

----

Izzy sat in Meredith's office drinking her coffee. It had been a while since she had actually spent some quality time with her friend with their demanding jobs, husbands, and their soon-to-be-children. Izzy put her hand on her stomach. She was going to tell Meredith 5 days ago about the pregnancy. Her and Alex had been trying for a while, and this time, it worked. It had been one of the happiest moments of Izzy's life when she found out she was pregnant, and it hurt her that she couldn't spread the news. At least not yet. Taking another deep sip of her coffee, Izzy looked around. On Meredith's desk were pictures of Audrey and Jaccob playing in the backyard, of Meredith, Audrey, Jaccob and Derek at the kids 9th birthday party, Audrey and Jaccob when they were babies, Derek when he was trying to light firecrackers for the fourth of July, Meredith and Derek in front of the hospital, and of the intern 'gang' in front of the hospital. They all looked happy standing in the light blue scrubs; not knowing what lie ahead for them. A smile crept upon Izzy's face as memories came pouring in. Good and bad. Sad and happy. Dark and Twisty Meredith and Bright and Shiny Meredith. Pushy and Arrogant Christina and Kinda and Caring Christina. Ass and Jerk Alex and…well Ass and Caring Alex. Sweet and Lovable George to 'you-want-to-claw-his-eyes-out' George. But one memory would always be with Izzy. There was always a place in her heart for him; for Denny. Looking at that picture made a warm and fuzzy feeling enter Izzy's heart. All her friend's had been there for her, before and after Denny and she loved them for that. Now she had to be there for Meredith. Continuing around the office, and vase of wilted Lavender flowers sat beside the picture of Meredith and Derek. Izzy chuckled. She loved the connection between Meredith and Derek. She loved how everytime she saw Lavenders, Meredith came to mind. Meredith. That name brought kindness and protectiveness to mind. She loved Meredith, but at times she couldn't stand her. Izzy had always been there for her, but Meredith wasn't always for her. But that didn't matter. When Izzy needed her the most, she was there, and that was all that mattered. A small knock came at the door and Derek and Alex walked in. Izzy smiled and got up.

"No, you don't have to move…not yet anyway. We're were just looking for you,"

Izzy laughed

"And how did you find me here?"

Alex shrugged

"It was like the last place we looked. We even looked under gurneys and you weren't there, so we thought you'd must be here,"

Izzy rolled her eyes

"Seriously?"

Both men laughed

"No, this was actually one of the firsts. Seems like everyone who were trying to round up, they were some place where Meredith has left her mark,"

Izzy laughed

"So I take it, some of us were in an on-call room?"

Derek laughed the hardest and Alex just chuckled

"Actually, yes. We found Bailey in an on-call room,. It was kinda scary, but understandable,"

Izzy nodded

"Why were you guys looking for us?"

Derek and Alex exchanged looks

"Meredith's lab results are back,"  
Izzy's face lost it's color.

"And???"

The men looked at each other again, and Derek sighed

"I kind of wanted to tell everyone together, but some of them threatened me with a tenblade. I swear surgeons can be pretty violent!"

"DEREK!"

"Okay okay…well... It's not cancerous, but it's still there. The tumor that is. We're about to go tell Meredith. Her surgery is scheduled for tomorrow,"

Izzy nodded

"Do Audrey and Jaccob know?"

"They've been told, and we're bringing them up to see their mom. We figured if they were there, Meredith wouldn't go on a rant like she did earlier,"  
Izzy nodded

"So when are we going to go?"

"Everyone is up there now, they're just waiting on us,"

"SO WHAT THE HELL ARE WE WAITING FOR?"

Izzy jumped out of the chair and starting to run for the elevator. Derek looked at Alex

"What do you see in her?" he joked. Alex shrugged

"That's why I love her man. That's why I love her,"

---

"Wait so…it's NOT cancer?"

Meredith was sitting up in bed with Audrey and Jaccob by her side. Derek and Alex had just come in and explained to her, her labs.

"No, but it's a fairly large tumor Mer. There is a chance that…."

No one finished the sentence. Meredith hugged Audrey and Jaccob closer to her, and they started to cry

"Shhh, everything is going to be alright. Mommy's going to be here for you guys don't worry. I'm not going anywhere,"

The cries subsided, but the sniffles were still there. Meredith looked up. Everyone looked tired and pale, but also worried.

"Thanks…to all of you for being here for me. For us,"

Everyone smiled

"We wouldn't think of being anywhere else Mer, especially now," said Mark. Meredith smiled

"But what about your kids. And Burke….how are you guys taking all this time off?"

Burke smiled

"That's what nurse's and interns are for right? Just kidding Mer. The kids are with my parents right now. Don't worry they come to the hospital everyday to see us. Everyone is doing well and they're going back to school on Monday. Don't worry. As for all of our jobs and us… we're taking some time off. We still go in and work with our patients and do necessary surgeries or deliveries. Or if anything goes wrong, we have our pagers. All your patients have been given to the other nuero doctors seeing that Derek and you are not officially working. But you don't need to worry about that Mer. We just want you to get better and fast. The police have also been working on the case. They've got some suspects and don't worry, the guy who shot you will pay,"

Meredith smiled

"I'm so glad that I have your support from all of you. I love you guys so much, and I'm sorry I've had to put you through all this pain. The sooner I get out of here, the sooner you won't have to take care of me, I promise,"

Everyone rolled their eyes

"Grey, you may be a suck-up, but we love you. Trust me, I've got people running your suck-ups. Just get better…FAST!"

Meredith laughed

"Bailey when are you going to realize…I'M NOT AN INTERN AND I'M MARRIED!?"

"Meredith, you shouldn't be yelling,"

"Derek," Meredith gave him a warning look and he backed off.

"I'll stop calling you an intern when I die! And I don't care if you're married and have children. You're still Meredith Grey in my eyes,"  
Everyone laughed. It was good to have everyone back again, even if one of the was critically sick.

"Okay guys, she needs her rest. Big surgery tomorrow. The sooner she gets it, and rests the sooner she'll be back to work," ordered Derek.

Everyone wished Meredith good luck and left, all with good feelings in their hearts.

"C'mon guys, it's almost time to go back to Uncle Burke's parents. Kiss mom goodnight, and you'll see her tomorrow morning before the surgery,"

The kids kissed Meredith and climbed down from the bed. They really hated leaving, but they knew the rules. The said good bye and walked out of the room, smiling. Derek leaned over and kissed Meredith. She forgot how good it felt to be kissed. She deepened as they continued. He ran his fingers through her hair. It was ratty and tangly from lying and sleeping all the time, but it was still felt good. They pulled away and smiled.

"We haven't done that in a while," she whispered

"No, we haven't"

Meredith smiled

"Maybe we should do it again?"

Derek smiled his McDreamy smile

"Soon Dr. Shepherd, very very soon,"

Meredith laughed

"Good night Dr. Shepherd, I love you,"  
Derek kissed her again, lightly on the lips

"I love you too Dr. Shepherd,"

**_A/N: Wow that's the fasted I've updated since my first fic!!! But trust me this is a one time deal. I've got semester finals so thatstress and no fanfic '(. I'll have x-mas break to work on it though and my other fic so don't worry. Um...long chapter...YA! I don't think it is possible for someone to form sentences that fast...but I needed her to get better. I'm sure I scared some of you w/ the cancer...but i want her to get better...so tumor. Um...next chapter will be after the surgery and probably won't be till end of nxt wk. Love you guy!!!_**

**_Rember 3 Reviews will make me START writing the next story. PEACE, LOVE, HARMONY, and REVIEWS!!!!!!!_**


	27. Moving On

Ch. 27: Moving On

**_FINALS ARE OVER!!!!!!!!! That means update time. This chapter is kind of a filler, but it's long. I'd say more...but how about you just read and I'll babble on in the A/N as usual ;)_**

**_- - - - - - -_**

Meredith had been in the hospital for a week and a half now, and she was improving everyday. She was watched closely after her second surgery just to make sure she was fine, even if the surgery was flawless. After the surgery, she had to go through 2 days of physical therapy, just to make sure everything was fine. Her kids came by after school everyday to see and update her on everything that was going on. Audrey, of course, had the hardest time adapting. She became distant and paranoid. Derek would tell Meredith that everynight Audrey would wake up in a cold sweat, dreaming about the day that she got shot. This worried Meredith, but Derek reassured her that he had everything under control, she didn't buy it until Derek had promised her that their daughter was fine. Waking up from her nap on the 16th day of being admitted, Meredith saw Derek, Addison, Burke, and Richard standing around her, all smiling.

"What do I owe this pleasure to?" Meredith chuckled. Derek came over and kissed her lightly

"We've got a couple things to tell you," he whispered pulling away. Meredith's smile fell hearing this.

"Wh-what's going on?" she asked tentatively

"Don't worry Mer, everything is fine…actually spectacular," said Burke, stepping forward

"Ok…" she answered, "So why are all of you here?"

Burke, Derek, and Richard exchanged looks

"Well Meredith, we wanted to tell you that, since you are improving so well, that you may be able to go home next week," announced Richard

Meredith was speechless

"Seriously?" she whispered after a few moments of silence

Derek looked at her like she was crazy, "Well ya…aren't you happy Mer?"

Tears began to roll down Meredith's cheek

"Happy? This is one of the happiest days of my life! I've been trapped here in this stupid bed and hospital for 16 days, gone through 2 surgeries, and countless boxes of tissues. Now I can finally breathe fresh air instead of this stuffy hospital air. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, that's not all," said Addison stepping forward. Meredith tried to read her face, but it was almost as hard to read as Derek's.  
"Addie tell me. Whatever it is just tell me. I've had enough surprises to last me a lifetime; I don't want any more. So whether it's good or bad, I want you to tell me, or else…I don't know, just please tell me,"

Addison looked into Meredith's pleading eyes. She hadn't been happy in a while and it killed everyone not to see Meredith happy. Now, she was about to be happy, but wasn't sure how to say it.

"Meredith, Mer…I don't know how to say this so I'm just going to be straight forward with it. No shortcuts, no beating around the bush, just giving you the medicine straight forward,"

"Addison you're starting to really scare me,"

Addison smiled

"You're pregnant,"

The room went silent. Meredith just sat there staring up at Addison.

"Mer?"

A lone tear trickled down Meredith's cheek.

"I'm…pregnant? Again? As in I'm carrying another life in my uterus thanks to him?" She pointed a Derek.

Addison nodded.

"You're about 6 weeks now, but yes you are pregnant,"

Meredith smiled

"I'm pregnant…again. I'm going to be responsible for another life. I'm…pregnant!"

Meredith began to laugh as more tears came down her cheeks.

"I can't believe it…I'm pregnant," was all she could say over and over.

"We're going to let this sink in for a bit. We'll be back later to discuss everything Mer," said Burke as he Richard, and Addison exited the room. Meredith and Derek were left alone staring at each other.

"I'm pregnant Derek!"

Derek laughed

"Technically we're pregnant, but yes, we are,"

Meredith looked at him

"What do you mean _we_? You're not going whose going to be carrying around this child for 9 months. Actually 30 weeks but whatever. So technically Derek I'm pregnant, you just made me this way,"

Derek laughed

"Okay, _you're_ pregnant Mer, but this is great! Our life is returning back to normal. Soon you'll be back to work, and this crisis will soon be over,"  
Meredith's smile fell. It was the first time the shooting had come up. Even if it wasn't directly, the shooting was brought up. Meredith looked away from Derek. She was glad that she was pregnant. She remembered how happy she is with Audrey and Jaccob, but what if this happens again? What if this baby also becomes a victim of another horrible act of crime? Instinctively, she put her hand on her stomach and looked out the window.

"Mer?"

She heard worry in his voice. She knew he was just as scared as he was. His wife and kids being put through all of this. His wife being put in surgery and now pregnant. His daughter having nightmare after nightmare and his son not saying much. She turned to him and saw his eyes watering up.

"Derek," she whispered. He came over to her, and climbed into bed. She snuggled close to him as he held her. They felt safe together, but they knew life couldn't be like this.

"Derek, how long are we going to be put in danger like this? It seems the world is out to get us. Why are they targeting us? We're supposed to be people who everyone love since we save them, so why are we being victims of murder?"

Derek laid his head ontop of Meredith's.

"I don't know Mer, I don't know,"

They stayed huddled together, just holding each other, thinking about their future ahead of them, hoping that it would be a safe one.

--

Meredith woke up from her nap to an empty room. She was glad that for one she wasn't waking up to a room full of people that was wondering how she was doing or to nurse's who kept on poking and prodding her with needles. She made a mental note to make the patient as comfortable as possible since she now understood what it felt like. She looked around the room to see that her blinds were open and that the sun was pouring through her window. She smiled a real smile for once as she felt the warmth of the sun on her face. It felt to be at least close to the outside world since she hadn't felt it in over a week. Looking away from the window she saw a note on her side table. Reaching over, she saw it was from Derek:

_Meri,_

_Sorry I had to leave so soon, I had patients to check on and I didn't want Burke to go ballistic on me. I came in around 4 with him and you were sound asleep. He's glad that your getting your rest that you need and deserve and he's hoping that when you come back you won't be sleep deprived like the rest of us. He also wanted to tell you that you will be released on Tuesday! He wanted to tell you in person, but I knew that you're tired of waking up to people all around you so I said I'll tell you. So you'll be released on Tuesday, but you're going to be on leave for 2 weeks before you come back. Don't roll your eyes young lady, you need all the rest you need! I'll be back around 6; I want to run something by you. Don't worry, it's not bad, just a little idea that I had. I'll even bring the kids so you can see them. Christina and everyone want to see you too, so I told them that they could come around 7, if that's okay with you. I'm now probably rambling and your laughing and this is a really long note, so I'll stop. I'll see you at 6 and I love you Mer!_

_Der_

Meredith laughed as she read the note. Actually it was more like a novel, but she didn't care, that's why she loved him. Looking at the clock she saw it was 5:30, she had been sleeping for over 3 hours, and Derek would be there in 30 minutes. Sighing, she paged the nurse. She knew that she was allowed to get up and walk around for a little bit, but she just wanted to make sure.

"You paged Dr. Shepherd," said Nurse Allison and she walked in.

"Hey Allison, I can get up and walk around right?"

Allison smiled

"Yes Dr. Shepherd, for the 100th time, you can get up, go to the bathroom, walk around your room and even down the hall, just don't overdue it,"

Meredith laughed

"Thanks Allison, I just wanted to make sure. I don't want to be yelled at by Derek and Dr. Burke later,"

Allison joined Meredith in the laugher

"Nothing more scarier than your husband and the Chief of surgery yelling at you is there? Do you need any help Dr. Shepherd?"

Meredith shook her head

"Okay, I'll be back later,"

Allison left and Meredith sighed. She only been out of bed a couple times, and it was pretty hard. Lifting her legs a few inches off the bed, she slowly brought them over to the side of the bed and set them on the floor. Her feet became cold, when the hit the tiled floor, and a shiver went up her spine. Closing her eyes, Meredith hoisted herself up and out of bed. Standing for a second to get over the dizziness. Taking small steps she walked over the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her normally-fairly-straight hair was sticking up in odd places. A few zits were on her face and her teeth were a little yellow. Looking at herself in the mirror, she looked like an old lady, who never left bed. Picking up her brush, she began to brush her hair. There were so many knots that it took a while. After making her hair normal again, she moved onto make-up. It felt good to make herself look pretty again, even if it was for no apparent reason. Next, she brushed her teeth. It was nasty that her teeth went so long without a good brushing. After spending 10 minutes in the bathroom she went back into her room to change her pj's. She had been in the same since her second surgery, and she was getting uncomfortable. After changing and become suitable, Meredith crawled back into bed. All the standing had made her dizzy, and it felt good to lay back down and be at least almost sanitary. After settling back down, there was a knock at her door.

"Come in," she cooed. Her door opened and Derek and the kids walked in. A smiled came across her face. Even if she had just seen them yesterday, it always felt good to see her children.

"Hey guys," she said as she held out her arms inviting the kids to come over and hug her. Audrey and Jaccob practically ran over to their mom and gave her a big hug.

"How was school guys?" she asked when the pulled away. Jaccob rolled his eyes

"They're making us take the SMACK this year. So now the teaches are preparing us for it and going all senile on us,"

Meredith looked at her children.

"The what?"

"The SMACK. Seattle's Mastery Assesment of Course Knowledge. It's a stupid test the government is making us take. How stupid!"

Meredith laughed

"Yes, it's stupid, but you still have to take it and now whining,"

The kids rolled their eyes

"And no rolling eyes and me and your mother," added Derek.

Meredith laughed

"And how was your day Aud?"

Audrey shrugged and walked over to the window. Meredith and Derek exchanged looks,

"Aud…you know that I can't get up give you a hug so you're going to have to come over here and cuddle with me,"

Audrey didn't budge.

"Derek, Jaccob, can you guys leave please?"

Derek nodded

"C'mon bud, you can tell me more about this SNACK,"

"SMACK dad…SMACK,"

Meredith shook her head as the two of them left. After the door closed, Meredith turned her attention towards her daughter

"Okay babe, your father and brother are gone. Now, dad's been telling me that you've become paranoid and distant from everyone. You want to tell me why?"

Audrey shook her head

"Okay…how about why you're having all these dreams,"

Audrey shook her head again

"Audrey, I can't help if you don't tell me what's wrong,"

Audrey turned and faced her mom

"It's nothing mom. Just…nothing,"

Meredith sighed

"Audrey you're my daughter. Nothing means 'something definitely bothering me' in this family. Now please, tell me what's wrong,"

Audrey burst into tears

"Oh baby girl, Shhhhh, everything will be alright, Shhh come here,"

Audrey climbed up on the bed and into Meredith's arms. Meredith laid in her bed, holding her daughter as she cried away. After a few minutes, the crying had stopped and all that was left was sniffling.

"Okay, so now we got the tears out of the way do you want to tell me what's going on in Audrey's world?"

Audrey shook her head

"Audrey Ellis Shepherd," started Meredith

"I'm scared mommy. I'm scared that guy is going to come back and kill me or you or dad or Jaccob or someone else. I'm scared that this nightmare is never going to end. I'm scared that in the end one of is going to die and we'll never know why,"

"Aww baby,"

Meredith hugged her daughter

"Nothing is going to happen to us. I don't know why that man decided to take his anger out on your school and me, but he did. But he did minimal damage. We're still a family. Sure I've been in this smelly place for 2 weeks. Been in a couple surgeries and have been sleeping a whole lot, but let me tell you, there is nothing, nothing in the whole world that can tear this family apart. Do you understand me? Nothing will ever tear this family apart, ever!"

Audrey smiled up at her mom

"Thanks mom,"

Meredith smiled

"No problem baby,"

The door opened again with Derek and Jaccob in tow.

"Everything alright you two?" asked Derek

"It is now," Meredith looked at Audrey and smiled.

"Now that's something I haven't seen in a while," said Derek as he tucked a lock of hair behind his daughter's hair.

"So, Audrey when are you getting that stupid thing off?" asked Meredith as Audrey slipped off the bed

"Aunt Callie said next week," she whispered smiling

"Well it looks like next week will be very eventful wont' it?"

Everyone looked at Derek and laughed

"That it will be," said Meredith, kissing Derek deeply and passionately.

"Oh hey I almost forgot, said Derek pulling away

"And what might that be?" asked Meredith seductively. Derek laughed as the continued to stare at each other, having eye sex.

"HELLO! KIDS IN HERE!" called Jaccob. Derek looked over at Jaccob

"Yes kids. With one soon on the way. But that's not what I was going to say. How would you feel if we take a trip as a family?"

Meredith looked at Derek

"Where are you planning to go? I am pregnant Derek. I'm limited to going places,"

Derek looked at Meredith

"I know that Meredith, that's why I was thinking New York,"

"New York?"

"New York!"

"New York?!"

Derek stared at the three of them

"Yes, New York. I was thinking we could go to New York for Christmas. You could meet all your aunts and uncles and cousins and you can see my family again Mer. What do you guys think?"

Meredith kissed Derek lightly

"I think that sounds wonderful Dr. Shepherd, we'll just have to get Addie's permission,"

"Addie?"

"Yes Addie Derek. Now, go ask her Derek, because I say that's a great idea, but your daughter here is saying that it's not,"  
"Don't you mean son Mer,"  
Meredith gave Derek her 'look'

"Go ask Addison Derek,"

Derek smiled

"I'll be back,"

Derek left the room filled with singing, skipping, and a whole bunch of eye rolling.

---

"MEREDITH SHEPHERD WHEN THE HELL ARE YOU GETTING OUT OF HERE?" called Christina as the old interns entered the room.

"Ow ow, Christina volume, please,"

"Shut up Bambi,"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

Meredith laughed

"You guys have no idea how glad I am to see you," said Meredith as she hugged Izzy

"It's great to see you too Mer. How are you?"

"I'm fine Izzy, I'll just be better when I get the hell out of here. Christina how did you survive when you were admitted?"

"Uh, I didn't remember? I was left in a crying fit and with my mother!"

Everyone laughed

"You sure you okay Shep?"

"Ya Alex I'm fine and if you guys ask me that one more time, I'll rip out this morphine and IV line and I'll kick your asses,"

"So how's the baby Mer?" asked George quickly changing the subject.

Everyone in the room looked and stared at him.

"Oh, oh you don't know? Crap, I'm going to my happy place now,"

"No it's okay George, Addie told me this morning," laughed Meredith

"Uh Addie Mer. Since when do you start calling McDreamy's ex-wife 'Addie'?" asked Christina

"What's wrong with calling her Addie Christina?"

"Uh, for one she's Derek's ex-wife Mer," spoke up Izzy

Meredith rolled her eyes

"Guys, that was over 10 years ago. It's called forgive and forget. She was my OB when I had Jacc and Audrey and she was your OB two Christina and George and-"

"I'm a man Meredith. Last time I check I can't have babies,"

" SHE'S not bad, she's just-"

"The spawn of Satan?"

"IZZY!"

"What?"

Meredith shook her head

"Guys she's not that bad. That was over and I say again over 10 years ago. Let go of it. Next subject,"

The room was quiet

"Guys, I'm pregnant. I've been shot and gone through countless needles breaking my skin. The last thing I want to talk about is Addison or the shooting…are we clear?"

The room was quite and everyone was avoiding Mer's gaze.

"Now, Izz Derek said that there was something that you wanted to say?"

Izzy looked at Meredith

"Can I have Addison's uh, number?"

Meredith gasped.

"Izzy are you?"

Izzy nodded

"Oh my gosh. We're both pregnant! Together! Its about time Izz! Congrats!"

"Thanks Mer, uh you two,"

The room went quite

"Guys…."

"Mer…"

"George no. Christina, what the hell is going on?"

Again silence

"CHRISTNA!"

"Mer, we found out why he was shooting,"

"W-What"

"Meredith, we found out why the guy almost took your life, Audrey's and all of those kids life,".

Meredith looked away.

"Meredith-"

"Why?"

"Mer do you really want to know why…now?"

Meredith looked at Alex

"Do you have any idea what it's like being a patient? All the doctors staring at you like you're a specimen. Then they don't tell you anything because they think you're a little 5 year old who doesn't need to know, even if you're a doctor your self. Do you have any idea what's it like to be shot. To stand they're, going out your day, then see that person standing at the door pointing that gun at you? Then in a split second, he pulls that trigger and your life is forever changed? Do you have any idea what it's like to be a patient, being shot, and pregnant with twins who are also scared to death? Do any of you guys have any idea what it's like to go through all of that and lie here day in and day out wondering why you? Why did that guy choose you? Why not the nurse standing over there? Why not her son? Why my daughter and why me? Have any of you guys been through all of that?"

No one spoke a word

"I didn't think so. Now Christina, why?"

Christina sighed

"His wife died Mer. His wife died of brain cancer. You and Derek worked on her together. He knew your kids went to that school, so he decided to go after them and your friend's kids. Then, when that wasn't enough, he came you or Derek. He didn't care which one, but he wanted one of you dead. But, when he knew that he didn't kill anyone, he killed himself,"

Meredith looked at Christina

"He killed himself?"

Everyone nodded.

"Okay, Well, that chapter of my life is over. I've got to move on. Audrey has taken the step and now it's my turn. I've being released on Tuesday. Derek, me and the kids are going to New York for Christmas. I need to get on with my life. Does that mean that I'm going to forget this? No, but I need to move forward, before I become…"

She didn't need to say it. No one needed her to say it. They all knew what she was going to say, but they didn't need to say it.

"That's good Mer. that's really good,"

Meredith nodded

"It is isn't it?"

The room nodded.

"Well, anything juicy going on in this hospital that I need to know about?"

The group laughed, as they began to fill Meredith in on everything that's been going on. She was actually happy for once. Happy that she knew why and happy that she was taking the first step to getting on with her life.

**_A/N: okay of it was kinda wierd...sorry I didn't proof read all the way. I was watching the rerun of GA tongiht, and I didn't do a very good job of proof reading. Um...so this is the last ch. of Mer being in the hosptial YA!!! I had to put in the convo w/ the old interns. I haven't really mentioned them...so ya. Um...i want to put up a x-mas thing, but that would be skipping around A LOT. Btw...it's september in this fic...and since there are 4 days till x-mas...i might do the x-mas ch. after x-mas in real life if that makes sense. Okay...1 1/2 wk of no schoollots of updates (hopefully) on both fics. so Read Love and Reivew...and 3+ reviews gets you a new chapter!_**


	28. Home Sweet Home

**Ch. 28: Home Sweet Home**

Meredith entered her house with a smile on her face, even though Derek was right behind her he held her hand, guiding her like she was a newborn child, just learning to walk.

"Derek, I'm fine. Burke wouldn't of let me go home if I wouldn't be able to walk," she laughed. Derek cracked a smile

"I know, but I want to make sure. You've been dizzy lately, so I just wanted to be certain that you won't fall over,"

"Relax McDreamy, she's not an egg, she won't crack if you let her go," grumbled Christina as she set down Meredith's suitcases. "God, you act like you just traveled halfway across the world, not down the street,"

Meredith and Derek laughed

"Might as well been half way across the world after being cooped up in that horrible tiny room, I couldn't take it much longer,"

Meredith walked away from the two of them and into the kitchen. It looked exactly like it did the day she hurried out of the house, all except for the pile of dishes that were in the sink which were neatly put away now. Derek and Christina looked at each other and followed her into the kitchen.

"Mer, you all right?"

Meredith turned around with stray tears rolling down her cheeks

"Ya, it just feels good to be home,"  
Christina rolled her eyes

"Okay, if I didn't know any better, in a few seconds you two are going to launch your selves at each other, and go upstairs for a while, since the kids aren't going to be home for a couple of hours, so if you don't mind I'll go. But it's great to have you back Mer,"

Christina quickly hugged her friend and headed towards the door

"See ya in a while McDreamy!" she called as the door shut. Derek and Meredith could hear Christina speed away in her car, trying to get away before they started. Derek and Meredith laughed

"She does know me too well," commented Meredith. The two of them stared at each other for a split second before they came together into a powerful kiss. Meredith could feel his tongue inside her mouth. She forgot how good it tasted to have such a powerful kiss. His lips traveled from her mouth down to her neck with his hands intertwined in her hair. She moaned his name as his lips traveled to the crescent of her collarbone. He knew what made her happy. Taking a brief breath, he continued, his hands going from her hair, down her body. Meanwhile her hands were wrapped around his sexy curls. She missed his curls in her hands; it had been too long. Derek lifted Meredith up and carried her up the stairs, with her laughing hysterically. Setting her gently on the bed, he climbed ontop of her

"You know it really has been too long," he growled. Meredith smiled

"Derek just shut up and kiss me,"

Smiling michevioulsy, he dove back into the kiss. Meredith's fingers found the buttons of his shirt and undid them, throwing the shirt down on the floor. Just as easily as she took off his shirt, he threw her shirt aside, and began to undress her even more. He had forgotten how great they were at sex. It had been too long, and his and her monster had to be fed. Looking down at her, he realized how beautiful she was. Smiling, the continued their "fun" all afternoon.

---

Meredith stood in the doorway of her pantry looking for food. Derek had just left to pick up everyone's kids from school and to bring them back there. Needless to say he wouldn't be back for a while. Everyone was coming over that night to celebrate her being home and she just realized she had no food. Grabbing the phone, she called Izzy first to help her with dinner.

"Hello?"

"Hey Izz, it's me Meredith,"

"Hey Mer, shouldn't you be laying down or something? You did just get out of the hospital,"  
Meredith rolled her eyes

"Cut the doctor act Izzy, I'm fine. Any way, I was looking for food for tonight and I just realized we've literally got nothing except a box of baking soda in the fridge. Unless you guys want that then…"

"Oh no problem Mer. Listen, Burke is letting all of us off at 5. So, I don't know. What do you want?"

"That's why I called you Izz. You know whatever I touch burns, even water,"

Izzy laughed

"So true. How about something simple. Like, Ummm…"

"Grilled Cheese?" suggested Meredith

"Mer, we're not interns anymore," giggled Izzy. Meredith laughed also

"I know, how about spagetthi and meatballs with a side salad, bread and then cheesecake for dessert? Oh and don't forget he white wine!"

"Perfect, but Mer, you know your not supposed to have alcohol, or me…damn,"

"We can ask Addison if a glass will be alright, or we could have water,"

"I'll ask 'Satan' later, and give you a call back, how about that?"

"Sounds great. Hey, Derek is picking up all the kids now so I gotta call him so he can go out and get all the groceries. I'll see ya tonight?"

"Sure Mer. I'll call you back with 'Satan's' answer when I get the chance,"

"OK, I'll talk to ya later then,"

The two girls hung up and Meredith smiled. It would be nice getting back into the swing of things, and even nicer to get back to work, but she didn't mind. She needed the time off, but a lot was just too much. After hanging up with Derek she smiled an evil smile, she went over to the game closet and got down 'Operation' planning on getting a few rounds in before dinner.

--

"Oh hell no. Don't tell me that I see McDreamy and Meredith over there playing 'Operation'. And I thought the sex was bad,"

"Nice too see you too Dr. Yang," smiled Derek "Care to join us? Izzy is in there scowling as she stirs the pasta,"

Christina rolled her eyes

"Where's the alcohol?"

"Christina!" hissed Burke

"What? You know all hell's broke loose when you see Derek and Meredith playing Operation,"

Christina made her way over to the kitchen, cursing as she went.

"Care to join us Burke?" asked Meredith as she tried to retrieve the 'Broken Heart'. Burke smiled

"Why not…my skills can always use some sharpening,"

As the night went on, practically everyone was on the floor, playing 'Operation,' even Christina (she had a few drinks and reluctantly joined). By the time Izzy called everyone in for dinner, the air was joyful and carefree. The kids meanwhile were hiding upstairs, scared of what their parents were going to do next. Sneaking down stairs, the grabbed their plates of food and ran upstairs to Audrey and Jacc's room, not wanting to take part in the embarrassing conversations. After everyone had taken their seats, Burke stood up.

"Well, I think we all know why we're here, but still, I think this would be a great time for a little speech,"

Meredith turned bright red

"Burke, you don't have to-"

"Just let the man speak Mer. Go on honey," slurred Christina, beginning to become drunk. Rolling his eyes, he continued

"About a month ago, the hospital came to a stand still because some idiot decided to try to take the life of on of the best neurosurgeons in the country, not knowing what he was getting himself into. Little did he also know, that it was going to take more than a bullet to take Meredith Grey-Shepherd from the world. Going through countless surgeries, and a few days of being in a coma, this magnificent woman and mom never gave up. Pushing to stay alive, she went through a rough time, but with a smile on her face. Finding out that she was soon tumor free brought joy back to us. We knew that this woman could not be defeated so easily. We also got a special surprise, not only from Meredith but from Izzy Stevens too,"

Now Izzy was a bright shade of red

"We will now be welcoming 2 new ones into this surgical world of ours. The third one for Meredith and the first one for Izzy. May their life be happy and knowledgeable and we can't wait to have you back at work Mer. To Meredith and Izzy,"

"To Meredith and Izzy!" repeated everyone. They all clanked glasses and dug into the delicious food that Izzy had prepared. Soon the dinning room was filled with conversations, as they began to talk about the future, and the ongoing of the hospital. Meredith hadn't smiled this much in a while and it felt good too. Suddenly, a little voice began to whisper in her ear

"How about we push that Christmas vacation to my parents back a month to Thanksgiving and then they can come over here for Christmas?" he whispered. Meredith turned to him and smiled

"I think that's a great idea, the sooner we tell your parents the better,"

Derek smiled.

"Great, now I just have to convince Burke to giving us that week off,"

Meredith smiled

"I don't think that's a problem, I'll just mention it to Christina, and I'm sure she won't have a hard time persuading Burke,"

Derek's nose scrunched up

"Mer, I really don't feel like thinking about my boss's sex life right now," Meredith laughed

"Now you know what it was like when I was Bailey's intern,"

"I HEARD THAT SHEPHERD,"

Meredith and Derek laughed as they quickly kissed and they felt all eyes on them

"What? We've been away from each other for a month, cut us some slack,"

Everyone rolled their eyes

"Just get a room Derek," Mark said

"Okay, so you want me to go to your house and do it?" he asked smiling

"And thought we were going to forget about that Derek," said Addison, turning pink. Meredith laughed

"It's forgiven and forgotten Addison, believe me,"

Everyone laughed. Addison and Mark whispered to each other and then stood up.

"Everyone we have an announcement to make. Apparently Meredith and Izzy aren't the only ones who are pregnant. Mark and I are also,"

The room was quite the it erupted into applause and cheers

"Wow, there must be something in the water," said Derek. Everyone laughed and started to talk again, enjoying the news of 3 little ones being welcomed into the world soon, and the news of having their favorite surgeon who would be soon back on staff.

**_A/N: Okay...very short compared to last time, but i felt like updating...since it is raining. Ne way...i thought this kinda had the air of x-ams time...so just a reminder..it's only september. Quick ?...Should I skip to November or stay here...i know i've skipped forward a lot...but if i didn't...it'd be kind of boring. So...Thanksgiving or Stay where I am now? So...nother filler...but i had to put in a sex scenen, and that little spill from Burke. But...let me know how i'm doing. 3+ reviewsanother chapter. BTW...HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!! _**

**_LIVE, LOVE, REVIEW!_**


	29. The Game

**Ch. 29: The Game**

**A/N: This skips to Thanksgiving. I thought it was easier this way. Um...Izzy and Mer are both 4 months pregnant and Addie is 3. Mer is back to work and made a full recovery, but Burke is still keeping her on a tight leash. Audrey's cast is off, and her nightmares are almost gone except on a few occasions. Life SGH and the Shepherd family have pretty much returned to normal. So w/o further adiou (or w/e...i suck spelling so just live w/ me :p)**

"Mer, Meredith hon, you need to get up,"

Meredith snuggled in her bed and wrinkled her nose

"Go away," she hissed. She knew Derek was standing there at the foot of the bed smiling his stupid smile but she didn't care. Her bed was warm and it was her day off. There was no way that she was getting out of it, unless she had to pee.

"Mer, please?"

"No, go away," She tried to keep her eyes shut and block him out. _Why does he have to be so damn sexy?_

"Fine, then the kids and I will just go to New York without you," Derek teased

Meredith's eyes shot open

"Shit, that's today?"

Derek nodded

"Yup, first day of Thanksgiving break for the kids and the day we leave for New York. But…since you don't want to get out of bed, we'll just leave you here with Izzy and George,"

Meredith grumbled

"I hate you, and your stupid son,"

Derek cocked his head

"Son?"

Meredith nodded as she swung her feet over the side of the bed

"Whenever he kicks, makes me have to pee, or makes my hormonal it's a boy and it's yours," she said pointing to her beginning-to-swell-stomach

"And when is it yours?" he asked amused

"When ever she makes me crave something and makes me happy it's a girl and she's mine."

Meredith slipped on her slippers and made her way to the shower, but turned around sharply

"Don't you dare follow me in there. You made me get up on my day off therefore you will get no sex,"

Meredith shut the bathroom door in his face

"I guess the baby's mine at this moment," he said under his breath

"DAMN RIGHT HE IS!"

Derek laughed as he turned back to the messy room as he heard the shower turn on. There were clothes everywhere from him packing. He knew he should have packed earlier, but he just had a 48-hour shift, how could he of packed? And there was no way in hell Meredith was going to pack for him, after having to go back to work, pack the kid's suitcase's, and lug around a baby for 4 months already. Looking around he tried to figure out what he was missing. He had on his red shirt; the one where he met Meredith for the first time. He thought he'd impress his parents since they hadn't seen each other in a while. He also had a week's worth of shirts, pants, jeans, and boxers, his hair care products, sanitary items, and condoms. Yep, he thought he was ready. Zipping up his suitcase, he set it down right next to Meredith's and began to clean up the room a bit. Just when he put away the last item of clothing, the bath room door opened to a pregnant, hormonal, and very sexy looking Meredith. She knew what he was thinking just by looking in his eyes.

"Don't even think about it. I just spent 30 min. in the shower, blow drying my hair, and putting on make-up. There is no way that you are going to ruin it,"

She marched past him and headed for the hall

"Well, are you coming? You're the one who was yelling at me earlier that we were going to be late,"  
exiting the room and going down the halls to the kids room Meredith left Derek shaking his head and laughing as he picked up both suitcases and headed down the stairs. He knew it was going to be a long day, and it was only 8 am.

---

"All boarding the 12 o'clock flight to New York,"

Meredith glared at Derek

"I'll go um, give our tickets to that lady over there, I'll be right back,"

Derek ushered the kids over to the ticket counter line, trying to get infront of everyone.

"What was that for?" asked Christina. She was standing behind Meredith seeing them off at the gate.

"He woke me up this morning. I was having a very good dream and he ruined it, so now he's paying for it," said Meredith, smiling evilly

"Oh, your good. Trying to make the plane trip as much hell as possible,"

Meredith nodded

"That's the plan,"

"MER WE GOTTA GO!"

Meredith rolled her eyes

"I'll give you a call when we land okay?"

The two girls hugged

"Keep me updated, I might pass this on to everyone else too,"

Meredith laughed

"Ya, make all the husbands pay for their stupid penis',"

The two girls laughed

"MEREDITH!"

"I'M COMING!" she snapped.

Giving her friend one last hug, she hurried over to Derek

"God, can't even say good bye to my best friend without you being jealous. When are you going to grow up Derek?" She hissed as she hurried to keep up with her kids, as they headed down the terminal. Derek stopped and scratched his head.

Whatever you did this time Derek, you did it good 

"DEREK!"

"Coming hon,"

---

Meredith felt someone stir next to her but didn't even bother to open her eyes.

"Don't you even dare think about waking me up. You're already in enough trouble as it is young man, you don't want this week to be any longer,"

Meredith cracked her eyelids to see a very stunned Derek. She smiled a secret smile to her self as she opened her eyes to a bright sun in her face.

"Put that god damn window shade up Derek, unless you want me blinded for life!"

Derek obediently put up the window shade as the plane circled around Lady Liberty. Meredith took in a deep gasp

"Beautiful isn't it? This is what I woke up to everyday as a child. Now, I get to wake up to you, the sec- I mean the most beautifulest (**_a/n: I know not a word, but hey…making up words is fun!)_** thing in the world," he whispered in her ear.

Meredith pulled away from the window

"Hmmm…that's one point for you Dr. Shepherd, we'll see how the rest of the trip goes and I'll make me final decision,"

"Final decision on-shutting up,"

Meredith nodded and smiled. She loved being in control and this little game might actually be fun.

"Ladies and Gentlemen please put your trays in the upright position, we will be landing at JFK in a few minutes. As always, we hope this trip was very comfortable and we thank you for flying with Delta Airlines. Welcome to New York,"

Meredith stretched her legs and began to prepare for decesent. The take off was pretty bad, being pregnant and all, she didn't want a repeat. Closing her eyes, she began to breathe deeply. After a few minutes, the sickness had gone away, and they were touching down on the runway strip

"Well that wasn't too bad now was it?" remarked Derek standing up

"Speak for yourself," muttered Meredith as she also stood and up began to get her carry on items out of the overhead compartment  
"Meredith you really shouldn't be…"  
Meredith gave him a 'don't-tell-me-what-to-do' look and he backed off. Exiting the plane, the kids tried to get as far away from their parents as possible. They didn't know what was going on, and they really didn't want to find out. Walking down the terminal Derek caught Meredith's arm and pulled her into a deep kiss.

"Now what's going on with you?" he asked pulling away, wearing his stupid McDreamy smile. Meredith shrugged

"I'm pregnant, I'm entitled to have at least a couple days of hormones aren't I?" she said matter-of-factly, walking away. Derek shrugged and followed her. As they entered the busy airport, the first thing Derek saw was his parents standing at the gate hugging their kids, followed by a very hormonal Meredith, which at that moment, didn't look hormonal at all,

"Mom Dad! Great to see ya again," Derek hugged his parents for the first time in 7 years.

"Derek Martin Shepherd, how dare you not visit us in 7 years. You're sister have been worried sick!" scolded his mom

"And apparently your mother too," whispered Derek's dad, pulling him away from his mother's clutch. Derek laughed

"Some things don't change dad," he whispered back "uh, Mom you remember Meredith and Mer you remember my mom Edith. Kids, this is your grandma Edith and your grandpa Fredrick, or Fred. Mom Dad this is Audrey and Jaccob, and this.."

Derek said pointing to Meredith's stomach

"Is your unborn child that's about what Mer? 5 months?"

"4," she hissed

"Uh, ya 4 months old,"  
Edith and Fred stood there staring at Derek and Meredith

"Seriously?" Edith squeaked. Meredith nodded.

"Oh my, well congratulations! We must tell the girls. Come come, they're waiting at the house,"

Edith ushered Meredith and the kids out of the doors of the airport leaving Derek and Fred to the luggage

"So another one huh?" asked Fred, taking the first bag. Derek nodded.

"Scared?"

"Like you wouldn't believe. I was more nervous about the twins, but this time Mer is more hormonal. Like today, she's treating me like shit. I don't know what it means and it's kinda worrying me," confessed Derek. Fred shook his head

"That's the problem with kids and the mother's carrying them. Each one is different. With Nancy, your mother was an angel, but with you the devil. The other 3, she was both. Some days an angel and other days the devil, but you all turned out just fine. Is that all bags?"

Derek looked around

"Ya, I think so,"

"Wow, only 5, wasn't last time…"

" 7 ya,"

Both men laughed

"Well we better go before your mother has a fit, or your sisters start calling, we wouldn't want that know would we?" remarked Fred.

Derek laughed

"I rather have mom yelling than Rebecca screaming into the phone,"

Fred nodded

"I agree with you 100 son,"

Derek walked outside and into the fresh New York air. Derek stopped and took in his hometown. Fred stopped and turned around

"Welcome home son," he said Derek smiled

"Glad to be home dad,"

**_A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS...HAPPY END OF HANUKA (sorry if i sp that wrong...i suck sp)...HAPPY KWANZA...HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!! So here is my present to you. Now, I know it's the holidays, so I will let the lack of reviews slide. ;). I luv u guys, no reviews are not (i'm jk to let you know). jk jk jk...i really do luv u guys, and i'm glad that ur not glued to the comp (like i am trying not to kill my self...spending 14 days w/ my dad...shudder). So the "game"...not to be any offensive to any one...i just wanted to have a little fun. I made up Derek's paren'ts names...and his sister's name...o and Derek's middle name. So...3+ reviews...gets u another chapter. HAPPY HOLDIAYS FROM ME 2 U!!!! PEACE, LOVE, HARMONY, REVIEWS!_**


	30. Space

**Ch. 30: Space**

**Liz-to answer ur ?...i'm hoping to go past 50, but i'm not sure yet. I'd love to, but it all depends on what comes to mind! THANKS FOR REVIEWING!!!!**

**-------**

When Derek and Fred entered the house they heard laughter coming from the living room and upstairs bedroom. Setting down the bags, Derek headed for the living room with Fred closely behind him

"And then what did my brother do?" asked one of Derek's sisters, Rebecca.

"Well, he just gave me that stupid smile of his and kissed me, like it was no big deal!" answered Meredith. The room erupted again in laughter, until Derek cleared his throat. The room went dead silent and all eyes were upon Derek and Fred.

"Well hello," said Derek smiling. Everyone rolled their eyes.

"What do you want?" asked Nancy, trying to be serious, but Derek didn't buy it

"Nice to see you to Nancy Pants,"

Nancy threw a pillow at Derek but he ducked and it instead it Fred

"Oops sorry dad,"

Derek came over and tried to kiss Meredith on the cheek but she held up her hand

"What no kiss for your husband?" he asked pleadingly but Meredith glared at him

"After what my sister-in laws have told me about you, I think not," she sad coldly. Derek looked at her

"Aww c'mon Mer how long is this going to last?"

Meredith gave him a 'you've-got-to-be-kidding-me' look.

"DEREK!" yelled his younger sister Erin.

"WHAT? I didn't do anything!" he tried to act innocent, but no one bought it.

"Uh Derek, lets go take these up to your room, we don't want you dead quite yet," whispered his dad

"Ya good id-HEY!"

Meredith rolled her eyes and shooed him away and turned back to his sisters.

"Mer, you've got to tell me how to keep him in line," asked Erin sitting on the edge of her seat

"Erin, it's not the matter of _how_ to keep, it's a matter of _why_ to keep him. I mean, we had to keep him because he's our brother. Meredith here, if she doesn't love him, then all she has to do is file a divorce and boom he's gone. But Mer, do you love him or does he _make _you love him?"

Meredith stared at Kathleen (the shrink).

"Uh, ya I do love him Kathleen, why do you think I'm carrying around this thing?" she asked pointing to her stomach. Kathleen shrugged

"Some women will do anything to have a child,"

Meredith was about to say something back, but Nancy intervened

"KATHLEEN! How dare you say that to Meredith! You've heard the way Derek talks to her and how he tells us about her! I mean shit, when they were first dating he would call up everyday just to tell mom and dad how much he loved her!"

The room was quite after Nancy's little spill.

"Uh, I gotta use the bathroom, where is it again?" asked Meredith breaking the silence

"3rd door on the right dear," answered Edith

"Uh, thanks,"

Meredith left the room, glad to be out of the silence. She really didn't have to go to the bathroom, but she didn't want to stay in the room with a shrink. Climbing the stairs, Meredith decided to go play with her nieces and nephews. Following the sound of laughter Meredith wove her way down the hall. Arriving at the last room she stood in the doorway of the playroom. There were toys everywhere along with kids. Audrey was playing with Erin's two little girls over in the corner. Jaccob was having fun with Rebecca's twins. There were also a couple 2-year-old boys in the back playing together.

"That's Mark and Anthony Kathleen's little ones,"

"I feel sorry for them," laughed Meredith

"Ya me too,"

Meredith turned around to see Nancy standing behind her

"Looks like mine are being shy again,"

"Oh, which ones are yours?"

Nancy smiled

"The two little girls in the back sucking their thumbs reading the book," laughed Nancy

Meredith giggled

"Rebecca has another girl. Ah there she is, there by the kitchen set playing with Erin's boy. And Kathleen has a girl that is….oh there watching Blues Clues by my little Jared,"

Meredith looked around

"The last time I was here, they were all so little and there were the 14 But here I only see 10, not counting mine,"

Nancy laughed

"Ya I have one more daughter she's over at a friend's house right now, she'll be over later. Kathleen's little girl is also shy, she's probably out back playing with the dogs, and Erin's little and all with the others are at soccer practice. They'll be over later."

Meredith nodded in understanding. The two girls stood there watching the kids play.

"Thanks Nancy," Meredith said after a while.

"For what?"

"For saying that stuff to Kathleen. I know we didn't get off on the right foot umm…what was it 11years ago, but I do appreciate what you just did for me,"

Nancy hugged Meredith

"Mer, you're my sister now. I'll always stick up for you whenever you can't do it for yourself, I mean…"

Meredith laughed

"No problem Nancy. I'm an only child. We'll actually I'm not I have a younger sister, but we don't really talk much so it's always nice to have someone besides Derek or Christina protecting me,"

Nancy laughed

"My pleasure. So where is my brother?"

Meredith shrugged

"I have no clue. Probably taking a nap. I'll go find him and bring him down,"

"Okay. Mom should be starting making dinner soon. I'll call for you guys when the others get here,"  
"Thanks!"

Nancy headed downstairs and Meredith started to find Derek. After peaking into a few doors she finally found him sound asleep on the bed. She smiled and climbed in next to him, snuggling close.

"So does this mean that you're being civil to me now?" asked Derek smiling. Meredith rolled her eyes

"For the time being. My daughter is being nice right now,"  
Derek laughed and he pulled Meredith close to him

"I love you Mer," he whispered into her hair. Meredith smiled

"I love you too Derek,"

The two of them fell asleep holding one another, not letting go unless they had too.

---

"MEREDITH! DEREK! GET YOUR ASSES DOWN HERE! EVERYONE'S HERE!"

"I hate your sister," mumbled Meredith

"Ya try living with her for 18 years," Derek groaned back "Well, if she hasn't changed, we better get up or else she'll come after us,"

Meredith shot up

"She wouldn't!"

Derek nodded

"She would,"

Meredith groaned

"This is supposed to be vacation, not work,"

Derek laughed

"We'll get to sleep tonight,"

Meredith smiled

"Sleep," she closed her eyes and began to fall back down into the warm bed, but Derek caught her.

"C'mon, I have to formally introduce you to all your nieces and nephews,"

"I've already met them…7 years ago,"

"Yes but can you name them all?"

Meredith was stumped

"That's what I thought, c'mon,"

Derek dragged Meredith out of bed.

"See now this is why I was so cold to you earlier," she hissed as she stood up and tied her hair into a ponytail and left. Derek ran his fingers through his hair.

_I can never figure out that woman,_

He followed her footsteps down the stairs and saw that everyone was stuffed into the living room. Laughing he walked over to Meredith planning to put his arms around her waist, but she quickly pulled away

"Mer!" he whined. She ignored him while she went over to Erin who was surrounded by all the kids.

"Oh hey Meredith. Have a nice nap?"

Meredith nodded

"I forgot how good sleep was," she laughed. Erin also laughed.

"Ya, that's the price we pay for being doctors huh?"

Meredith nodded

"What do you specialize in again?"

"Peds,"

"That's right. That would explain why you're so good with kids,"

Erin nodded

"I love them,"

Meredith bent down to one little girl who was sitting by Erin.

"Now what's your name?" she asked sweetly.

"Jessica and I'm 5," she said holding up 5 fingers. Meredith laughed

"You are? Whose your mommy?"

"Her," she said pointing over to Kathleen.

Meredith nodded in understanding.

"It's been so long. I can hardly remember anything expect my own kids, my "nieces" and "nephews" whom which I see everyday, and my own kids," laughed Meredith. Erin nodded

"I know, it took me a while too, but it's hard when you live half way across the country and have a demanding jobs. But here let me help. I'm married to Jon. He's wearing the yellow shirt talking to Derek. We have 4 kids. A set of twins girls Amy and Amber an another girl Molly and a boy Michael. The girls are 7 years old, Molly is 10 and Michael is 14. Rebecca also has 4 kids. Two little boys Joshua and David. Josh is 9 and David is 8. Rebecca is married to Richard, the man in the green shirt talking to mom. Okay, now Nancy is married to Tim and he's in the purple shirt talking to dad. They also have 4 kids. We all have 4 kids but you and Kathleen just to let you know. They have two girls Jessica and Lucy who are 5 and 8 and still suck their thumbs. She has a little boy Jared who is 14 and another girl Chloe who is 15. Now last but not least there is Kathleen who is married to Tom; he's in the red shirt talking to Nancy. They have 3 kids two boys and a girl. The boys are Mark and Anthony who are 9 and Emily who is 7. Then of course we have you who is married to my older brother Derek and you have twins Audrey and Jaccob who are 9 with one of the way,"

Meredith laughed.

"Okay. I'd repeat it back to you, but that's a lot. I'll try applying it later,"

Erin nodded

"Fair enough. If you want to go more into depth, Nancy is the oldest out of us 4. She's a gynecologist and you probably already know. Then there is Derek the neurosurgeon, then Kathleen the shrink, me the pediatric woman and then Rebecca the social worker. Then mom used to be a teacher and dad was a general surgeon,"

Meredith laughed

"Family full of doctors. Nice,"

Erin nodded

"We grew up with mom since dad was always at the hospital but he was always there for recitals, speeches, or our milestones in life,"

Meredith nodded

"My mom was never there for me. She always worked, day in and day out. I was home alone with my sister and we never talked. I was a rebel because of it my dad left my mom if your wondering where he was. Actually my mom left my dad, with a fellow intern which turned out to be the Chief of Surgery. Please don't ask. I told my mom I was going to be a surgeon and she just laughed at me and told me I didn't' have what it takes to be one. I went off the college, leaving my baby sister and I tried to prove my mom wrong. She was diagnosed with Alztimers when I was in college. Died the day before I became a resident. Wasn't a big loss, since she was never lucid, but I just wish she was there for me,"

Erin nodded. The two of them just realized how sudden the room just go quite.

"Uh, hello," said Meredith, looking around.

"You know Meredith if-"

"_Kathleen,"_ hissed Nancy and Derek. Kathleen rolled her eyes and shut her mouth.

"Well, lets eat now shall we?" asked Edith breaking the silence.

Meredith sighing a sigh of relief got up and followed the family into the kitchen.

"Auntie Mer?"

Meredith looked down to see Amy tugging at her shirt. Meredith smiled and bent down to her niece

"Hi, you are…don't tell me. Amy?"

Amy smiled a big tooth grinned smile and nodded. Meredith laughed

"What can I do for you Amy?"

"C-can you come watch Little Mermaid with me and my cousins after pissa?"

Meredith laughed

"Sure why not? I need to spend some time with my nieces and nephews,"  
Meredith stuck out her hand and Amy took it, following her aunt into the kitchen. Letting go for just a second, to get her pizza, Derek took this opportunity to talk to her.

"Sorry about Kathleen," he whispered picking up a Supreme pizza. She tried to ignore him and be interested in a piece of cheese

"Mer please talk to me,"

"I've got a date with my nieces and nephews after dinner to watch The Little Mermaid. After we'll talk,"

She walked away over to her sister-in-laws and their kids smiling. Derek sighed.

"Trouble in paradise?"

Derek looked over to see Nancy and Kathleen standing behind him

"No," he said matter-of-factly

"Derek-"

"Kathleen, leave work and work, please don't bring it here,"

Derek started to walk away towards Meredith, Nancy grabbed his arm

"Space Derek. You're with her 24/7 and-"

"Actually…"

"FINE NOT 24/7! But whenever you get the chance your by her side. Give her some space and she'll come crawling back to you. She's pregnant. We've all been through this. She'll love you more if you just leave her alone,"

Derek smiled

"Why didn't you become the shrink?" he asked biting into his pizza

"What? You want two Kathleen's running around here?" she joked taking a bite of her own pizza. Derek laughed

"I guess not,"

The two of them talked for a while as Derek took her advice. She was right the first time about the space thing.

Mer does love me and Nancy is right. She needs some time away from me, let her get to know her nieces and nephews. I'll let her come to me when she wants.

Looking over at her, Derek saw Meredith staring at him. Giving him a quick wink, she went back to her conversation with Rebecca and Erin.

"See I told you," whispered Nancy.

Derek glared at her

"You know, I really do hate you,"

Nancy rolled her eyes

"Sure you do Derek, and you hate Meredith too,"

Derek laughed

"4 sisters and not one brother. You know I always thought that was a bad thing, until now,"

Nancy smiled

"Awww, love you too Hair Boy,"

Derek laughed and could of sworn he heard Meredith laugh too, but didn't look over too see. Deep into conversation with Nancy, he saw someone brush past him getting more slices of pizza. Looking up he saw Meredith smiling. Starting to get up, he was pulled back down

"Don't ruin it," hissed Nancy. Nodding, he pretended not to notice, but was smiling. He'd let her do the chasing for a while, and let him sit back and enjoy all the fun; at least for now.

_**A/N: this is going to be the last update of the break. Rents r putting a time limit on comp time (only 2.5 more years and counting!). ARG...I thought ga was going to be back on the 4th... but no it's the 11th! HOW WILL I LIVE??? lol. but the promo was good. So...enjoy this ch. while it lasts. Next one will be thanksgiving day. Soo...READ, APPRECIATE, REVIEW! (as usual 3+ will make me start to think about update (as in ideas will pop in my head ;) )**_


	31. Alot to Worry About on Thanksgiving

Derek woke up the morning of Thanksgiving when he heard a loud crash from the kitchen. Sitting up in bed he looked around and saw Meredith sleeping soundly right next to him. Smiling, he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

"Mmmm," she smiled trying to sound annoyed that he woke her up. Laughing, he did it again.

"Derek," she whined opening her eyes, "can't you let me sleep?"

Smiling he kissed her for a third time.

"Why?" he teased.

"Because, we're surgeons. We're surgeons with kids. We need sleep. And coffee. We're surgeons with kids who need sleep and coffee. You're not helping with the sleep part very much or the coffee part,"

Derek laughed

"How am I not helping? We're in my parent's house for Christ's sake! Do you think I'd have sex in my own parents house?"

Meredith rolled her eyes

"No…but I would like to sleep in till 10 once and a while,"

Derek laughed

"Oh no. See this is the part where I get to fill you in on what goes on in La Shepherd on Thanksgiving Day. See, we're supposed to get up around 8 and get out of the house while mom stays and cook Thanksgiving dinner. Dad takes all the kids down to Central Park and lets them go run wild. Us guys go out fishing and the girls go out shopping. Then we all meet back here at the house at 6 and have dinner. So Meredith Shepherd, I'm sorry but there will be no sleeping in while you stay here for the remainder of your vacation,"

Meredith laughed

"Fine, but aren't we supposed to go shopping tomorrow?"

Derek rolled his eyes

"Ya, they do that too,"

Meredith laughed

"Ok, so I guess I should go take a shower and meet everyone down stairs?"

Derek groaned

"I guess,"

Meredith looked at him

"I thought you loved fishing,"

Derek sighed

"I do, but with my brother-in-laws it gets kinda…. competitive. I just like sitting there in the piece and quite catching fish. Not 'lets-see-who-can-catch-the-biggest-in-the-shortest-amount-of-time,"

Meredith broke into hysteria of laugher.

"It's not funny Mer!"

But Meredith couldn't stop laughing. Finally, getting fed up with her laughter, he rolled over and pulled her close to him, giving her a deep kiss. After a few minutes, they pulled apart. Meredith was looking at him lovingly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, staring up into his eyes.

Derek smiled.

"For what?" he teased.

"For being a bitch to you ever since we've got here. Now your sisters are giving you a cold shoulder because they think it's your fault. I'm sorry. And then I just teased you about something you obviously don't like doing. It's just, why haven't we been over here in 7 years? I love it here Derek. The family atmosphere, the loving parents, caring sisters. How come we haven't done this for a while?"

Meredith was almost in tears after her little speech. Derek looked into her green eyes and kissed her again.

"I love you Meredith and I'm sorry we haven't been able to make it back here in a while. Actually, I was a little hurt when you started to give me the cold shoulder and then Nancy pulled me over the first night we were here. She told me to give you space. I've always been by your side since day one, and I've realized that you're not the kids. You're your own person that needs to be independent and free. Today is going to be a good day for you to have fun with my sisters. Trust me, go out and buy as many 'fat clothes' and baby stuff that you can. Then tomorrow go buy as many presents as you want. I want you to be happy Mer and I'll do anything for you to be that way,"

Tears were rolling down Meredith's cheek as she kissed him deeply

"I love you too Derek," she whispered.

"HEY YOU GUYS UP YET? DEREK THE GUYS ARE WAITING FOR YOU AND MER WE NEED TO HIT THE MALLS!" cried Rebecca banging and Derek and Meredith's door. Laughing the two of them got out of bed and headed for the shower. They were both glad that they got everything they needed to off their chest and were looking forward to the day ahead of them.

--

"OH MY GOD MER, WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR 2 HOURS AND YOU HAVEN'T BOUGHT A SINGLE THING!" yelled Kathleen over the Christmas music that was blasting over the Mall's intercoms. Meredith laughed. She was glad the Kathleen had cut the physic act after the first couple of days and actually became a regular person towards Meredith. She turned around to see Nancy, Rebecca, and Erin falling behind underneath the weight of their bags.

"How can you be…happy?" asked Erin collapsing on a nearby bench. Meredith burst into laughter.

"And you? How come you haven't bought anything. She won't leave until you're at least weighed down with 5 FULL bags," snapped Nancy. This made Meredith laugh even harder.

"I've just been saving my energy. You know window shopping for tomorrow. Let's go to the baby store? Derek told me to buy as many 'fat clothes and baby stuff' as I wanted,"

All 4 girls stared at her.

"What?"

"Derek? Our Derek? The only brother we have told YOU to spend? Money? Here? In New York City?"

Asked Rebecca  
Meredith nodded

"He wants me happy. Now c'mon, the sooner I get to spend money, the sooner we get to go home,"

Meredith started off towards the end of the mall. Kathleen was smiling happily as her other three sisters followed behind her, annoyed by their sister's and sister-in-law's happiness.

--

"So Derek what are you going to get Meredith for Christmas?"

Derek stood at the edge of Lake Haylie looking into the deep blue water, not hearing his brother-in-law's voice.

"Derek…earth to Derek! DEREK!"

"Wha-What?"

"Der, you okay?"

Derek looked over to see Tim staring at him like he was crazy.

"Oh, sorry," he muttered. Tim shook his head.

"Der, you're like a brother to me. You can always tell me anything. Now what's going on?"

"Nothing,"

Tim laughed

"I've known you too long to know that that's not true,"

Derek looked over to see all the other husband's laughing and joking. Derek shook his head.

"I just wanted to get away. Away from all the emergencies and the trauma. All the rain and drama that's in Seattle. I just wanted peace and quite,"

Tim shook his head

"Then why the hell are you out here?"

Derek laughed

"I have no freakin clue,"

The two men stood there looking out into the lake.

"You're scared,"

"What?"

Tim looked at Derek

"You're scared for Meredith. Derek, it's been 3 months. Don't you think it's time to get over it?"

Derek shook his head

"Seeing her lying there in that bed…it was terrifying. Now I know what it must of felt like to see me in that bed 2 years ago. Tim, I wasn't sure she was going to make it. Then Addison tells me that she's pregnant? How do I know that there's no brain damage? Meredith was in a freakin coma for a couple of days! That could have killed the baby! I-I don't know. I'm becoming distant with the kids, the hospital, and my friends. All I want is to be by Meredith's side protecting her. I feel like the shooting was my fault. That-That I should of pushed her out of harms way you know? I just, don't want my family to go through that again,  
Tim nodded.

"During that 7 year period when we didn't hear from you, mom and dad got worried. They only heard from you when you got hurt that's it. When Mer didn't let them come down they were heart broken. Now you guys are back and everybody is ecstatic but you. Derek we haven't seen you in 7 years. Why?"

Derek didn't met Tim's eyes

"I was afraid. When my plane went down 2 years ago, I swore to my self I would never step foot on a plane again. I didn't want that risk of my family dying just as I almost did. I felt like I had to protect them. I thought, if I didn't have any contact, that I would feel bad. That I wouldn't be homesick and would forget about it,"

"But you didn't,"

Derek shook his head.

"Everyday I thought about calling. Everyday I wanted to fly back and have my kids interact with kids out of Seattle. With their cousins and aunts and uncles. I don't know why kept them so secluded,"

Tim nodded

"We can't control everything in our lives Derek. You couldn't control that plane and you couldn't control that shooter. But what you can control is how you deal with it. Coming out here just 3 months after the shooting was a step Derek. Facing your fears means everything to your family. You can't protect them forever. Soon Audrey and Jaccob will be going off to college and soon you and Meredith are going to die. So make the most out of your life and make sure family and love is included,"

Derek smiled

"Why aren't you a shrink?" joked Derek

Tim shook his head

"Hell no. Your family that's the only reason why I'm doing this. If you were anybody else, I'd be pulling my hair out,"

Derek laughed

"Thanks Tim,"

"No problem Derek,"

Derek felt a tug on his line and sprung into action. Reeling in as fast as he could, Derek pulled in a big ass Trout. Yelling and screaming, Derek's face lit up. He hadn't had a smile this big in a while, and to tell the truth, it felt good.

----

"Okay, before we all begin to eat, I'd like to go around the table and lets all say what we're thankful for,"

A sea of groans filled the dinning room. Edith laughed

"Yes, c'mon. It'll be fun! I'll start. I'm Thankful to have my little boy and his wife and family here,"

Derek and Meredith blushed

"Okay Fred your turn,"

"I'm thankful for the TV,"

The table laughed and Edith hit him with a napkin.

"I'm only kidding. I'm thankful for all my grandchildren who will never tire me out,"

"I'm thankful for my kids," said Kathleen

"I'm thankful for my wife," answered Tom.

Everyone went around the table until it got to Derek and Meredith.

"I'm thankful for my wife and family, who I wouldn't be who I am today without them,"

Tears began to fill Meredith's eyes

"I'm thankful to have the best husband in the world, who I know will always be there to protect me and love me,"

The room was quite as everyone said a silent prayer.

"Okay well I've been slaving over a hot stove all day so I don't' want to see a plate empty you hear?"

Everyone laughed as they began to pile food on their plate. Derek leaned over as Meredith slapped some mashed potatoes on her plate.

"I love you,"

Meredith looked up

"And I'm sorry for keeping you from my family for so long. I promise, we'll come and visit every year,"

Meredith smiled

"I'd like that,"

They both began to lean in for a kiss but were soon interrupted by Jon

"C'mon Derek eat so we can go watch the game,"

Rolling his eyes, Derek quickly pecked Meredith on the cheek.

"Derek," she whispered

"Ya Mer?"

"I love you too,"


	32. Home at Last

**Ch. 32: Home At Last**

**_A/N: Thank you to Lily and LostKaty who reviewed last chapter. I 3 u guys! I dedicate my favoite chapter to you!_**

**_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"Hey hon, up so soon?"

Derek just entered the kitchen and took a seat at the table. His mom was preparing pancakes, eggs, and bacon with coffee. Derek licked his lips as him mom set down a full plate of food and a big cup of coffee.

"Ya, I decided to let Meredith sleep in a but. Up early two days in a row with two full days of shopping takes a lot out of her," he joked. Him mom smiled and went back to the stove. Derek took a bite of his pancakes just as Jaccob and Audrey entered the kitchen.

"Hey guys, what are you guys doing up so early? We got a long flight later today, I thought you'd sleep in,"

Jaccob sat down taking a drink of his orange juice.

"Nah, we decided to get up and play around with grandpa and our cousins since we might not know when we might be back,"

Derek stared at his son. Edith could feel the tension in the room and quickly set a hot plate of food infront of the kids. She gave Derek a quick 'don't-say-anything-you-will-regret' look before turning back to the stove. Derek took a drink of his coffee and looked at his son.

"Jacc, what's-what's that supposed to mean?"

"Well you know dad, since it's been what 7 years since we've been here it might be what another 7 years so we just thought we'd make the most out of it," shrugged Audrey taking a bite of her eggs. Derek sighed and leaned back into his chair.

"Guys-"

"No dad it's fine. I mean we're 9. We understand that with the new baby coming, and your demanding jobs, our real family becomes less and less important so we just want to spend as much time as possible,"

Derek shook his head.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing!" he sighed "Mom, a little help here?"

Edith shrugged

"They do have a point Derek,"  
Derek sighed and pushed his food away.

"I need to go take a walk,"

Grabbing his coat, Derek walked out of the kitchen and out the front door, making sure it slammed shut. Both kids didn't look up from their food. Edith sighed and flipped another pancake.

"Don't you guys think you were a little hard on your dad?" she asked. The kids shrugged.

"We're just stating the truth,"

Edith put down her spatula and looked at her grandkids.

"Do you guys have any idea what your parents are going through? Your father 2 years ago was almost killed and now your mother was almost killed and is pregnant? Not to mention she's very hormonal and can go off the edge any minute any day! Also don't you think your Aunts have given your dad a hard time as it is without you guys getting on him? We're all disappointed that you guys couldn't come visit sooner but we're just glad that you're here now. It's a miracle that your parents got this off from their jobs so just be grateful that you're here."

Edith sighed and turned back to the food. Jaccob and Audrey just sat there looking at their food. Suddenly they're weren't hungry.

"I feel bad now," whispered Audrey. Jaccob nodded.

"Me too. I guess we were a little too hard on dad,"  
"Ya. I mean we flew us all the way out here to see our cousins and Aunts and Uncles and we repay him by treating him by crap?"

Jaccob shook his head.

"We should do something,"

"But what? We leave at 4 which means we have to be at the airport at 2 and we're not going to get home till about 4 tomorrow. I don't want to spend a 12 hour flight being mad at dad,"

Edith smiled as she saw her grandkids consulting each other. Suddenly the room went quite. Edith turned around to see sleepy eyes Meredith in the doorway.

"Hey," she yawned "Where's the party?"

Edith turned back around trying not to say anything. Taking a seat where Derek sat. Taking a big drink of coffee she looked around.

"Where's Derek? I woke up alone in bed so I thought he'd be down here? Did he run out to go get something for the flight?"

No one said something. Eyeing her kids, who were keeping a close eye on their food, she decided the best way to attack them. Edith set down a full plate in front of Meredith but she didn't notice.

"Okay, you guys haven't taken your eyes off your food in 2 minutes. What's wrong?"

Jaccob and Audrey didn't look up from their food. Looking over to Edith, she saw her watching the bacon closely.

"Okay, I may be clueless half of the time, but right now there is something going on. Someone or all of you know where my husband is and I want to know now!"

The room was dead quite.

"Fine!"  
Meredith got up and headed towards the door.

"Meredith where are you going?" asked Edith, her voice trembling.

"Well since no one cares to tell me where the love of my life is I just might have to go out and find him myself."

"But, but you don't know New York."  
Meredith shrugged

"I'm a neurosurgeon Edith, I think I can figure it out!"

Walking out of the room Edith glared at the kids

"Oh, you better find a way to fix this one!"

---

Rain started to fall in New York City as Derek sat at the edge of the pier looking out into the ocean. He missed Seattle and the ferryboats. Derek shook his head and put it in his hands. Where did he go wrong? Did he neglect his kids too long? Has he ever neglected his kids? What could make them say that to him? The rain started to pound harder, but Derek didn't care. He liked the rain. The way it feel and how it didn't care whom it hurt. It was just there. No one really noticed it until it affected them. He heard someone come up, but he just thought it was a tourist. Still staring at the rainfall into the ocean, he couldn't help but feel that person staring at him. He turned around to see a very soaked Meredith, still in her pj's.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Hey," he answered. Derek turned back around and watched the rain. Meredith sighed and sat right next to him. The two of them sat there watching the rainfall.

"It doesn't rain in New York like it does in Seattle. The first drop and everyone pulls out their umbrellas and hides for cover. Sure it rains here, but mostly it's cold and cloudy,"

Meredith looked at him, listening to every word he said.

"Derek," she whispered.

"Where did I go wrong?" he asked. He looked into her eyes searching for an answer. Meredith shook her head.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she confessed. Derek sighed and looked back at the ocean. After a couple minutes, Meredith spoke up.

"You know if you tell me, maybe I could help!"

Derek shook his head.

"The kids. They snapped at me today. Saying 'who knows when we might be back here? It may be another 7 years before we see our family again.' You know how that stings? That was like someone stabbed me in my heart Mer. Hearing my own kids say that. It's like…I don't know them anymore."

Meredith looked out into the water.

"And we're about to bring another one into the world," she whispered. Derek shook his head.

"I don't know if I'm ready," he confessed. Meredith looked at him and put her head on his shoulder.

"I know. I'm scared too. Audrey and Jaccob went through so much and I don't want that to happen to this one. I don't want this one traumatized like they are. I'm scared too,"

Derek looked at Meredith.

"We're both scared. We're scared neurosurgeons we need family,"

Meredith nodded.

"We need family. We need friends. We need everyone,"

Meredith and Derek let the rain fall on their shoulders taking in the moment.

"It's so weird. Now we're sitting here and in 12 hours we'll be on our way home. Back to the stress, trauma, and surgeries. In 5 months we'll be back to the waking up at 2 in the morning with all the diapers while trying to juggle a job," said Meredith after a couple of minutes. Derek sighed and stood up. Meredith watched him.

"Well, I guess sitting here isn't going to help anything,"

He held out his hand and helped Meredith up. The two of the stood there looking at each other letting the rain fall on their heads and shoulders.

"I guess we should be getting back,"

Meredith nodded

"I'll follow you. I can drive in Seattle in the rain, but New York, no."

Derek laughed. He stared at her then pulled her into a deep kiss. Meredith pulled away smiling.

"I guess we should go now?" she asked. Derek nodded

"I guess we should."

Derek and Meredith took one last look out into the endless ocean before heading back to their cars, heading home.

---

When Derek and Meredith walked into the house 30 minutes later Edith came running to them with towels and tow and many words coming out of her mouth.

"I can't believe you two going out into the rain in 50 degree weather! You should know better! Here take this and go sit on the couch by the fire and I'll bring in some hot coffee,"

Meredith and Derek did as she said just to make her happy. Taking a seat next to each other Meredith and Derek smiled as they watched the flames dance across the wall.

"So this is what it's like in your house every winter?" questioned Meredith. Derek nodded.

"Actually, this is what it's like my house all year long. With Mom always fussing at us. It's always one thing or another with coming home after curfew, being out in the rain, or just being out in the sun," laughed Derek. Meredith looked at him shocked.

"What?" he asked

"I-I just can't see you Derek Shepherd coming home after curfew," she said sarcastically. Derek rolled his eyes and play slapped her. She squealed and laughed. Edith came in to see the two of them trying to keep themselves from falling on the floor laughing.

"Here, put these in your mouths," she ordered coming into the living room. Derek and Meredith sat up and took the thermometers from Edith and popped them in their mouth. Edith eyed them and walked away. When she was out of sight, Derek took his out and stashed it under the blanket.

"Derek," hissed Meredith taking her's out also. Derek laughed.

"It's the oldest trick in the book Mer. We always did this to make mom think we had a normal temp. Just relax,"

"DEREK SHEPHERD! PUT THAT THERMOMETER BACK IN YOUR MOUTH RIGHT NOW!"

Derek whipped around to see Edith standing at the entryway with a tray of coffee.

"Mom we live in freakin Seattle. Don't you think we'd be a little used to the rain now?"

Edith shook her head.

"I don't care. You'll catch pneumonia and-"

"Edith…mom don't you think Derek is right? I've been living in Seattle my whole life and….I think I'll put the thermometer back in my mouth before I get pneumonia,"

Meredith smiled sweetly and popped the thermometer back in her mouth. Edith smiled.

"You'd do good following your wife's example," she hissed at Derek walking out of the room. Once she was gone Derek looked at her.

"What the hell was that?"

Meredith sighed

"Did you see that stare she gave me? Terrifying. No wonder you're not scared of Bailey,"

Derek laughed. The two of them sat there, with normal temperatures, holding each other staring at the fire.

"Derek?"

"Hmmm?"

"Where the hell are our kids?"

Derek sat up and looked at Meredith.

"That's a good question. MOM!"  
"What?" snapped Edith walking into the room

"Where are our kids and dad?"

Edith rolled her eyes

"While you two were gone, your father took them for a little souvenir shopping. They're supposed to be back any minute now. Your sisters are coming too, to see you off. And just for your information, I packed your suitcases and your welcome,"

Derek stood up and hugged his mom

"Thanks mom. Thanks for having us and putting up with us,"

Edith relaxed and returned the hug

"You're welcome Derek. You know you're always welcome here,"

Just as Derek and his mom broke away the kids, his dad, and all his sisters and their husbands and kids came pouring into the house.

"DAD!" shouted Audrey. She ran over to Derek and hugged him

"Hey princess. I'm sorry about earlier," he whispered and kissed her on the cheek. She broke away and smiled.

"I know and I'm sorry to and so is Jaccob. Aren't you Jaccob?"

Audrey glared at Jaccob who was standing a few feet away

"Uh, ya sorry dad."

Derek laughed and hugged his son. Meredith came over and bent down and hugged her kids too.

"We love you guys and we're sorry from keeping you from all your cousins. Your dad and I've been talking and we thought," Meredith glanced at Derek "That it would be a good idea to come out here at least once a year to see your family,"

The kids' faces lit up and ran over to their cousins to tell them the good news.

"Did I just hear what I thought I heard?"

"Ya our big brother coming every year to see his beloved sisters?"

"Awww looks like he couldn't get enough of us while we were growing up!"

"C'mon Derek admit it, you missed us,"

All four of Derek's sisters surrounded him. He gave Meredith a look.

"Look what you did!" he mouthed. Meredith just shrugged and walked over to Fredrick to thank him for all he's done. Standing and looking around Meredith finally felt what it was like to be with a family. Sure she had her extended family back in Seattle, but here was real family. Something she never had.

"Hey Meredith you okay?" asked Nancy coming over. Meredith wiped a lone tear from her eyes.

"Ya I think I am, since now I can finally say…I'm home."

**_A/N: This is one of my favorite chapters. My last favorite chapter is 'Finish Line'. Idk y but i really like this chapter. OMFG!!! Grey's Anatomy on Thursday!!! I CRIED SO HARD! I didn't even cry during Denny and I was BAWLING on the last epi. Then the synopsis on Someone is going to be proposed to! CAN'T WAIT! Okay back to the fanfic world. Like i said earlier, i was rereading the fic and my writing really sucks and i'm not consistent. When they get back to Seattle i'll tell about Emily and everyone else. I PROMISE!!! 3+ gets you more!!!_**

**_Roses are Red, Vilolets are blue, Reviews are nice, how about you?_**


	33. Author's Note

**Ch. 33: Author's Note**

HEY GUYS!!!!

i'm sooo sorry for the lack of updates. I'm a major writer's block b/c i don't want to skip right to x-mas w/o a tranisition chapter. I also want to do a Valentines Day chapter soo i don't know what that's going to happen. Sooo please don't think i abandoned u b/c i haven't. I'll try to get back probably around March or when I get inspirtaion.

OMG...i just saw: Walk on Water...OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i can't wait a wk...i just can't. They can't...they just...ARG! I mean i'd soooo watch a 3 hour epi of GA...wouldn't u??? i mean c'mon. If they can do a 2 hour thing of Extreme Make-over then they can do a 3 hour thing of GA!!!!!

so ya...plz...i'll try to update very soon

p.s: can meredith swim? even though they'd say somthing about loosing a person (i mean they can't kill of Mer...i mean it's GREY'S Antatomy...not Anatomy. a coma i can live w/ but now...death.)


	34. Chapter 34

**Ch. 34: Back**

Meredith smiled as she pulled back into her parking space at Seattle Grace. Turning off the ignition, she sat in her Jeep for a minute, taking in the silence. Closing her eyes, she listened to the soft pitter-patter of the rain as if fell onto the car. She loved the rain and how it couldn't care less that it was ruining many people's days. Meredith took a deep breath as she reflected on what was going on lately. She and the family have just gotten back from New a last week and Burke had given them an extra week off to get back into their normal routine. It felt good to be back in Seattle with the rain and the coldness. Meredith felt a soft kick from her stomach and looked down. Smiling, she put her hand to her stomach and felt her new child kicking at her. She loved the feeling of carrying a life inside of her. A life that will be open to many opportunities that hasn't been explored yet. Suddenly, there was a loud knock from her car window and she saw Christina standing there, motioning for her to get out of the car. Sighing, Meredith unbuckled her seat belt, grabbed her purse and stepped out into the cold, December rain.

"What?" asked Meredith standing infront of Christina.

"What were you doing in there? I swear it looked you were like meditating or something. What did McDreamy's sisters do to you?"

Meredith laughed as she started to walk up towards the doors of the hospital, hearing the clatter of Christina's shoes coming behind her.

"Nothing. They didn't do anything to me." Answered Meredith as Christina caught up to her as they stepped into the hospital, heading for the elevator. Christina rolled her eyes.

"Then explain to me what you were doing in your car."

Meredith smiled and stepped into the elevator and faced Christina.

"Meredith I swear it's like you were hit by Cupid and it's only DECEMBER!"  
Meredith rolled her eyes.

"So I'm a little happy what's wrong with that?"

Christina looked at her in disbelief as the elevator doors opened.

"WHAT?" shrieked Meredith playfully.

All Christina did was shake her head and walk out of the elevator then stopped and turned around.

"I just hope that either there will be a massive pile-up or you get laid today and to tell the truth I hope you get laid."

Meredith rolled her eyes and exited the elevator as she saw Christina hurry into the attending locker room. .

"Hey."

Meredith heard a voice behind her that she knew all too well. Smiling, she turned around just to be engulfed in a passionate kiss.

"Miss me?" she asked pulling away looking up at the man. Derek smiled his McDreamy smile and nodded.

"I did. I mean we haven't seen each other in what 20 minutes? I can't stand being away from you that long!" teased Derek. Meredith laughed as she pulled him into yet another kiss.

"Meredith, we're at work. Can't you have a little more self-control?" asked Derek professionally, trying to keep a straight face. Shocked, Meredith played slapped him and stormed off into the locker room just as Christina was exiting. Seeing Meredith and her 'fake-mad' Christina just rolled her eyes and left the locker room just as Derek entered.

"Good Morning Christina!" called Derek as she tried to run away. Stopping Christina turned around and glared at him.

"Same as your wife McDreamy, same as your wife."

Confused, Derek watched Christina hurry to the OR board, hoping to get in on a surgery. Shaking his head, he walked over to Meredith as she pulled on her scrub top.

"What did she mean by 'same as your wife'?" he asked opening his locker. Meredith laughed as she pulled on her pants and grabbed her stethoscope.

"She made a comment in the elevator about hoping that I get laid tonight or get in on a surgery and she hopes that I get laid." She explained shrugging it off. Derek looked at her smiling, as she pulled her hair into a bun. Watching him watch her, she smiled.

"We'll see Dr. Shepherd, we'll see." She teased walking out. Derek couldn't help but watch her. He had been with her 24/7 for 3 weeks now, but it was different in the hospital. She moved different in her scrubs and in surgery and quite frankly he liked it. Trying to get the mental picture out of his head, Derek exited the locker room and prepared for a long day of work.

---

"So he was playing eye sex with you?"

"All day Izz and it's only what 8? And for the record it's kinda getting trying."

Meredith and Izzy were standing at the nurse's station, signing patient's charts and gossiping.

"Well I don't know why you're complaining Mer. I mean he is McDreamy!"

Giving Izzy a look Meredith handed the chart back to the nurse and leaned up again the station. Watching her, Izzy did the same thing.

"So how was New York?" she asked breaking the silence. Meredith looked at Izzy and started laughing.

"It was…interesting. I mean, it's been 7 years since I've seen his sisters, and we bonded like we were sisters ourselves. I love it over there Izz. I mean the family atmosphere and the way they treat everyone. I never wanted to leave."  
Nodding Izzy agreed.

"Ya, I know what you mean. Well…actually I don't but it's what I dream of. You know my background and Alex's. He came from a drunken and abusive family and I well…grew up with my mom and got pregnant at 16. What can I say?"

Meredith nodded and sighed.

"I just need to find a way to top it at Christmas."

Suddenly Izzy's eyes got big.

"I got the perfect idea!" she squealed.

"What?" questioned Meredith eyeing Izzy.

All Izzy did was push her self off the nurse's station and started to skip down the halls.

"IZZY!" yelled Meredith trying to get her to come back, but Izzy was already halfway into an elevator. Feeling her pager go off, Meredith shook her head, and tried to push the idea of knowing that Izzy had some kind of surprise up her sleeve, out of her head and headed towards her patient.

---

Christina scrubbed out of surgery and entered the hallway to be greeted by Burke.  
"What are you doing here?" she asked, walking down the hallway.

"What? Can't the Chief of Surgery come and meet his wife after surgery?"

"Not unless the Chief wants her to do something." Accused Christina, heading to the nurse's station. Burke looked at her hurt.

"Oh c'mon you know it's true!" she snapped. Defeated, he sighed.

"I got a transplant patient flying in from San Antonio. The ignorant doctors there thought that they could fix him but obviously the can't. I need you to-"

"Meet the helicopter on the roof soon and get him prepped for surgery?" she asked trying to hide her enthusiasm.

Burke nodded.

"You know you're not an intern anymore." He hissed into her ear but all she did was shrug.

"So? Means more surgery for me. What time does he arrive?"

"4 o'clock and his surgery is at 6."

Christina nodded and headed for the hallway, doing a silent fist pump along the way. Burke watched her go and shook his head.

"Trouble in paradise Chief?"

Burke turned around to see Mark coming up looking over a patient's chart.

"Naw, just wondering if we still acted like interns when we were 'new' attendings."

Mark looked up from his chart confused.

"What?"

Burke just laughed and shook his head.

"I just told Dr. Yang that I had a transplant patient coming in and she jumped all over it like an intern would."  
Mark laughed and put the chart away.

"Ya well…she's Yang. You can't really expect that to go away can you?"

Burke shook his head.

"No, I guess I can't."

---

Meredith entered a Parkinson's patient's room just as her resident and interns were presenting.

"Mr. Sing, 65, diagnosed with Parkinson's 2 years ago and he's in for he's check-up."

"Thank you Dr. Reyal." Said Meredith scaring the young intern as she snuck up behind him. Smiling, she walked over to Mr. Sing and began his exam.

"How are you this morning Mr. Sing?"

"Fine. I just wish that all you doctors would stop poking and prodding me."

Nodding, she moved her stethoscope around his chest and made some notes on his chart.

"Who can tell me the symptoms of Parkinson's disease?" addressed Meredith to the interns as she hung her stethoscope around her neck, making some notes on the chart. All of the started to scramble trying to impress Meredith the 'Attending and the 2nd top Neurosurgeon in the country.' All of them except one.

"A shaking or tremor of a limb when the body is at rest is one of the first signs. Other symptoms include bradykinesia, akinsesia, rigid limbs, a shuffling gait, and a stooped posture. A person with Parkinson's disease often show reduced facial expressions and they speak in a soft voice."

Meredith stood in awe as the intern recited word for word from the textbook.

"T-That's correct Dr…"

"Verpal." Said the intern in a hushed voice. Meredith nodded.

"Okay Dr. Verpal I'll need you to run a MRI on Mr. Sing here and then page me when you're done. Mr. Sing, I'll see what I can do to make you comfortable at any time. I'll be back later to check up on you."

Mr. Sing nodded and Meredith smiled. She turned to the interns, nodded and then left the room. Seeing Derek come up the hall, she quickly signed the chart and handed it over to the young intern.

"When you take Mr. Sing down to get the MRI, I need you to ask him if he's thought about having brain surgery. I've been on a case like this before but the man didn't want the surgery but he changed his mind and we pretty much cured him of the disease. Make sure he knows about the surgery and the positive affects of it. When you page me I want to know his answer."  
The intern nodded, still embarrassed that she was talking to one of the top surgeons in the country. Watching the intern walk away, Meredith waited for Derek.

"What was that about?" he asked, handing over a patient's chart.

Meredith shook her head and turned to him.

"You remember when I was intern, that Parkinson's patient we had…Mr. Lavangie? I have a patient just like him but a little less extreme. I'm waiting for an answer from my intern if he knows about this surgery. She just took him down for an MRI"  
Derek looked at her.

"Ya I remember him. The night before Bailey caught us having sex in my car."

Meredith rolled her eyes.

"DEREK! That's besides the point!"

Laughing, Derek nodded his head.

"Yes I remember him. I told you that he didn't want the surgery, but I wanted you to push him. Then something happened, and I kicked you off the case, but got you back on or something."

Meredith rolled her eyes

"How the hell do you remember this?"

Derek shrugged

"It's just one of those fond memories I never want to forget!"

Punching him, she continued.

"Well, I've never done a surgery like this and I've only seen it twice. Once as an intern and the other as a resident and-"

"Wait hold up, when did you do it when you were a resident?"

Meredith shrugged

"Uh, 4th year I think. I did it with Mitchell, but DEREK FOCUS! I need you in there when I do it and to assist me when I need help! I don't want to kill the guy."  
Distracted about the news of her doing the procedure as a resident, Derek nodded his head. Sighing an annoyed sigh, Meredith walked past him.

"I'll page you when I get the MRI results. Oh and Derek you were in surgery when I went in with Mitchell. It's not like I could of pulled you out."  
Shaking her head, she headed down the hall towards her next patient. Trying to let it go, Derek grabbed his next patient's chart and tried to clear his mind.

---

"You know you really should tell them."

"George… Meredith, Izzy, and Addison are already pregnant and they're what 4 and 5 months and I'm what…a month? Why bother them?"

George and Callie were arguing in an on-call room about they're recent news.

"Still, Addie needs to check you out."  
Callie sighed and flopped down on the bed.  
"What if I don't want her." Callie muttered. George looked at her confused.

"I thought Addison was your friend."

Pushing her self up, Callie looked at George.

"She is but…George look at all of us. Jeremy is what 9 now! When this one is born…he'll be 10. When this one is 10, Jer will be 20. Ten year difference. And it's the same with Meredith and Derek. Why now? Why couldn't we have done this like 2 years after Jer?"

Callie collapsed, with her head in her hands.

George watched his wife break down and sat next to her and held her.

"Okay okay. I'll tell you what. I'll let you decide what you want to do okay? Obviously I'm not helping very much. Tell me when you want to tell everyone else and I'll be right be side you. But Callie, does it matter when we have a new kid? All that matters is that we want to okay? I love you and our new child and that will never change."

Kissing her on her forehead, George left the on-call room. Callie sat in the darkness and she moved her hand over her stomach. Wiping the tears away, she got up and made-up her mind. Exiting the on-call room, she headed straight for the nurse's office.

"Page Addison Sloane please and tell her it's urgent."

----

**_A/N: YA!!! I'VE UPDATED!!!! Well i've been sick w/ a virus and upper respitory infection, golf tournaments, and school. So...be happy that I fianally updated...even if it is sucky. My original plan was to do this, skip to X-mas/New Years, do another filler, skip to V-day...then just go along. Then i wrote this...so there will b another one hopefully soon then X-mas then V-Day. It's a plan least. Ummmm...so Mer is technically dead in the "real" GA world. Well...we all know that she's going to b brought back...i'm mean it's freakin Meredith Grey...but i got some inside scoop that someone is supposed to die nxt epi...but u nvr know. So...yes...i updated. I'll try to update: Where did my Life go tomorrow or b4 Thrusday. Check out my latest one shot: Marry me. So yes...REVIEW B/C I FINALLY UPDATED!!!! MUAHAHAHHAHAHA_**

**_o...i took the list of symptoms that the intern recited from _****_ And bradykinsea means slow movement and akinsea means no movement (we learened that in school)_**

**_READ, WATCH (the show of course), ENJOY, REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (3+ will make me have a conscince that i have to review or else u guys will come after me!)_**


	35. Long Day

**Ch. 35: Long day (and long filler chapter)**

Meredith sat in her office flipping and skimming through medical journals, waiting for her intern to page her with the MRI and CT results. Leaning back into her chair, she took a sip of her coffee and clicked on the next article hoping to find her answer. Skimming down the page, she stopped suddenly, almost spitting out her coffee. Looking at the title and the author, Meredith quickly clicked on it, not believing what she was seeing. As the article opened up, she skimmed the article; being startled by every sentence that she read. Being so intrigued by the article, she didn't even hear her office door open and Derek come in.

"Hey." He said, putting his hands around her waist. Meredith, startled by the sudden gesture, jumped about a foot out of her chair and spilt her coffee all over her desk.

"Jesus Derek doesn't do that!" she snapped, grabbing the nearest tissue box and started to clean up the desk. Chuckling, he leaned over to help her, seeing it was his fault. Grabbing loose sheets of paper off the desk, the article on the screen caught his eye.

"What's this?" he asked reading the article.

"Oh that…I was just um reading up on the surgery."

Not listening to her, Derek continued to read.

"Hey this, this is my article that I wrote after the Levangie surgery." He said, recognizing the writing. Meredith glanced up at the screen and then back to the mess.

"Uh ya it is." Standing up, she threw away the last of the coffee filled tissue and stood next to Derek.

"You never told me you wrote a journal about Mr. Levangie." She said accusingly. Derek stood up and faced her.

"You never asked." He replied slyly edging in to kiss her.

"You're sneaky Dr. Shepherd." She whispered answering Derek's movements.

They both were about to engage in a long, passionate kiss, when Meredith's pager went off.

"Shit, it's the intern." She grumbled, pulling away. Derek smiled

"Will you need me?" he asked, shinning his McDreamy smile. Meredith rolled her eyes.

"C'mon Sparky." She said giving, walking out of the room. Like a little dog, Derek followed behind her out of the office, and into the elevator, still playing eye sex with each other.

----

Christina stood over her patient in the middle of the heart transplant. Slowly and carefully she cut away the old heart from the owner and raised it from the chest cavity. Before she slid it into the plastic bag, she gave it a good hard look. The heart was almost black because of all the smoking from the previous owner. It was almost double in size from a normal heart because of all the extra blood it was trying to pump to the body.

"This is why we tell you not to smoke." She announced to the gallery. She looked up to see the interns and residents cringe from the sight of the unhealthy heart. Christina turned back around and faced her intern who was standing near the vital machine.

"Watson." She shouted, getting the interns attention. His head shot up and looked at Christina with fear. "Get over here and help me out with this heart." She said with a little more kindness in her voice.

Slowly the intern edged his way over to the patient and looked down at the body.

"Okay now take this heart and put it in that bag." She instructed.

Slowly the intern took the heart and slid it into the bag. He tired to do it slowly with out mistake because he didn't want to be on Christina's dead list for the rest of his residency.

"Good, nice and slow. Perfect." She coached, and the heart landed softly into the bag.

"Now we put the new heart in."

Christina took the new heart out of the bag and slowly lowered it into the chest cavity. Carefully, she hooked everything back up as the intern watched her every move.

"Ok now Dr. Watson what do we do?"

The intern froze for a second, thinking of the answer.

"Watson!" she snapped.

"We uh take the new heart off of bypass Dr. Yang." He answered, hoping he was right.

"Good. Nurse, take him off of bypass."  
The nurse nodded, as she slowly turned the bypass machine off.

"Patient off of bypass Dr. Yang."

Good, now we see if this heart will beat on it's own. Would you like to do the honors Dr. Watson?"

The intern nodded eagerly as he stepped up to the table and put his hand into the chest cavity. He massaged the heart ever so slightly so he didn't puncture the heart. All the doctors held their breath as they waited for the heart to beat on it's own. After a few seconds of no movements, Christina took over.

"C'mon beat for me…beat!"

Finally, after a few minutes of massaging, the heart began to beat on it's own.

"Okay, lets close this guy up and get him up to recovery." Said Christina, tearing off her mask. On the outside, she was as hard as a rock, but in the inside, her heart was beating 150 mph. Not having that heart beat was one of the scariest moments in her life.

"Dr. Yang!" cried the intern, trying to catch up with her.

"What Watson?" she asked scrubbing out.

"I just wanted to say that was amazing. How you didn't give up on the heart."

Christina smiled.

"It's all in the job. Now I want these post-op notes done ASAP." She demanded, trying to cover up her smile.

Just before she left, the intern called her out again.

"What is it Watson?" she asked annoyed.

"How…How did you know you wanted to go into Cardio?"

Christina stopped and looked at the intern straight in the eye.

"I just did Watson…I just…knew. Now get on those post-ops!"

Christina left the scrub room, smiling. She turned back to see the intern nodding his head, smiling as he washed his hands.

So this is part of being the boss…cool.

--------

Izzy was skipping around the hospital all afternoon. Not only was she in a good mood that it was the holidays, but her perfect Christmas plan was brewing in her mind. Even her patients noted a different, happier, Izzy as she examined them and welcomed each new human into the world.

"Dr. Karev, why are you so happy this afternoon?" asked Addison as she met Izzy in an empty exam room.

"I guess it's just the holidays Addison." Replied Izzy hoping up onto the exam table. Addison laughed as she pulled up Izzy's scrub top and spread the gel onto Izzy's stomach. Izzy looked over to the monitor as Addison started to ultrasound. Halfway through, Izzy's smile suddenly feel as she noticed something on the monitor.  
"Add…Addison…Dr. Sloan…why does the monitor show that my baby has a tear in her left ventricle?" asked Izzy, her voice trembling. Addison's eyebrows furrowed as she clicked several times and looked closely.

"Addison not as my friend but as my doctor, I demand you to tell me why aren't you talking to me!" Izzy said almost shouting. Addison turned around to face Izzy.

"We need to operate Izzy. There is no time to run tests or labs…your baby may be in …danger."

Izzy squeezed her eyes shut, trying to take in everything. Finally, she nodded.

"Ok…I understand. Page Alex." She whispered. Addison nodded, and walked out of the room. Once the door shut, Izzy shut her eyes again, and started to cry, letting the tears run down her cheeks, onto her scrubs. Her hands traveled from her face, down to her stomach. She looked down, and started to rub her stomach, in circular motions.

"It's okay. Everything will be fine. You'll be fine. You'll get to live and we'll get to plan the perfect Christmas…everything will be fine." She told the baby. But no matter how much she repeated it, she couldn't get herself to believe it.

---

Meredith and Derek entered Mr. Sing's room to see Dr. Reyal (the intern) playing with his grandchildren as he lay back, watching TV. Meredith gave Derek a quick wink, before proceeding with her torture.

"Dr. Reyal!" she barked, scaring everyone in the room; even Derek. The intern quickly stood up and pushed the small child away.

"Dr. Shepherd…s, I-I"

"You don't know what to say?" finished Meredith, walking over to the intern. Dr. Reyal quickly shook her head, trying to blink under the hard stare that Meredith was giving her.

"You're excused, I'll talk to you outside." She said, turning her back to the patient. The intern hung her head as she shuffled outside, trying not to let the tears that were starting to fall be noticeable. Derek watched the intern go, and felt a wave of sympathy for her, but he didn't want to say anything infront of Meredith or the patient, so he just kept his mouth shut for the time being and watched Meredith do her work.

"Well Mr. Sing, you're CT and MRI scans show that you do indeed have progressive Parkinson's. There are multiple treatments but..."

"But you want to cut my brain open and operate on me so you can just earn more money!" snapped Mr. Sing, tearing his eyes are from the TV. The room went dead silent.

"Mr. Sing…" started Meredith.

"No Dr. Shepherd, let me talk. All my life I've been poked, prodded, been under the knife more times than I can count. I'm getting old and too tired for this. I just want to die peacefully."

Meredith shook her head

"But Mr. Sing."  
"I SAID NO! NOW GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" yelled Mr. Sing, turning the TV back on. Meredith just stood there shocked, and then turned and ran out the door. Derek watched her go before stepping up to the plate.

"Mr. Sing…"

"I thought I told you to go away." Said Mr. Sing, trying to drown out Derek with the TV. Derek sighed and turned off the TV and grabbed the remote away from Mr. Sing then turned to his family.

"Can you give us a few minutes please?" he asked. His wife, daughter, and grandchild nodded as they quietly left the room. Derek smiled to each of them before the door closed. For a minute, the two men stood there in silence, and then Derek spoke up.

"You know…I had a patient just like you once."

Mr. Sing snorted, but didn't say anything. Derek nodded his head.

"I understand. You're old, tired and afraid that this will be it. You're afraid that you won't come out of this surgery. But think about your family that you have. Think about them watching you suffer every minute and day of their life. How much emotional turmoil that they go through, just to see you walk to the kitchen, your bed, or wherever. All my wife was saying was that we could fix this very easily. I did it to one patient about 10 years ago, and then she saw it happen again to another about 5 years ago. She was present in both surgeries so you have nothing to worry about. So you can go on living day in and day out, each day hurting with every move you make. Or you could let my wife operate on you and you can live another 10 maybe 15 years and watch your family grow."

Derek finished his speech and shook his head, heading for the door. Mr. Sing just sat there, taking in everything that Derek said.

"I'll get the nurses to bring up the discharge papers. Medically, you're free to go." Said Derek, before reaching for the door.

"Wait." Said Mr. Sing, quietly. Derek turned around to see Mr. Sing, facing him with a tear running down his cheek.

"Fine. If it will make you goddamn doctors happy then fine. I'll let you operate on my brain."

Derek smiled and went over to squeeze Mr. Sing's hand.

"You won't be sorry."

Mr. Sing just rolled his eyes as he shooed Derek away, going back to his TV.

---

George walked up the nurse's station and handed in his chart and leaned up against the desk. He had just finished a quadruple bypass, 9-hour surgery and to tell the truth, he couldn't feel any better. Looking around, he noticed that the hallway was unusually…empty. Hardly any nurses, no doctors, only patients with their doors closed. Noticing the board, he curiously walked over to it and began to study it. Seeing Meredith and Derek were about to go into surgery, Christina just came out, Burke was about to go in, Mark was doing a rhinoplasty, Callie doing a bone reconstruction, and Izzy…Izzy was…. George read over the line over and over again in his mind, and yet, he couldn't believe it. Taking one last look at the board, he walked away, hoping to get to the bottom of what he hoped was a bad dream.

----

"Okay, I'm almost done here…looks like her baby will live."

Addison was putting the finishing touches on Izzy and her baby as the surgery neared the end. Addison looked down into Izzy's abdomen looking for anymore damage. Finally, she sighed a sigh of relief.

"She's one of the greatest doctors and really compassionate and caring. This always happens to those kinds of people. That people is what we called a medical phenomenon that will never be explained. Close her up." Addison shook her head and walked away. It was those kind of surgeries that were the hardest. Walking into the scrub room Addison started to wash her hands, when George and Alex burst in.

"WHAT THE HELL!" screeched George looking into the OR. He saw the intern closing her up as they started to wind down the surgery. Alex just stood there, watching, not being able to form any words.

"Okay O'Malley out. You're not even her.."

"WHAT? FAMILY!?"

Addison sighed and shook her head.

"That's not what I meant. C'mon, lets go outside and talk. Alex...?"

Addison turned and looked at Alex. His face had lost some of its color as she watched Izzy…become another patient.

"Alex…" said Addison again gently.

"What? Oh ya…C'mon George." He said, still in a daze as he led George out of the scrub room. The three of them walked down the hall going towards and empty exam room.

"C'mon, let's talk in here." Led Addison.

She opened the door to let the boys in but instead of it being empty, Callie sat on the table, looking worried.

"I-I think I'm pregnant." She said softly.

---

Meredith ran out of Mr. Sing's room and headed for the nearest on-call room. She didn't care if there was anyone in there, she'd kick them out. Throwing open the door, Meredith proceeded to throw herself on the nearest bunk, but stopped, since another body already occupied it.

"Dr-Dr. Shepherd, I'm sorry…I'll just…" Dr. Reyal, started to stand up, wiping away the tears on her face, before proceeding for the door.

"Dr. Reyal…wait." Said Meredith, sighing. The intern stopped and faced Meredith. Meredith collapsed on the bottom bunk and put her head in her hands.

"I-I'm sorry for snapping at you in Mr. Sing's room." Said Meredith quietly. The intern looked at Meredith with disbelief.  
"W-What?"

Meredith shook her head.

"I had no right to snap at you. You made Mr. Sing and his family comfortable. I don't know why that set me off like that. It just…did. I'm sorry."

The intern just stood there, looking at Meredith.

"Did you get an answer though?"

The intern looked at Meredith startled.

"W-What?"

"Mr. Sing…did you get the answer?"

The intern nodded

"He said yes to the surgery." She answered quietly. Meredith nodded, and wiped away her own tears.

"Then I suggest you prep him for surgery and I'll meet you down there in 30 minutes."

Meredith stood up and headed for the door, holding it for the intern to walk on through.

"Thank you Dr. Shepherd."

Meredith nodded, as the intern walked out and started to head for Mr. Sing's room. Right when she opened the door, Derek stepped out and smiled at the intern, as she walked out. Spotting Meredith at the on-call room, he headed over to her.

"What was that all about?" he asked, sternly yet softly. Meredith shrugged.

"Honestly I don't know. I could say it's my hormones, but it's not…so I'd be lying. I guess I was just jealous because I never had that interaction with patients." She confessed.

Derek looked at her like she was crazy.

"What do you mean? All your patients loved you."

Meredith snorted.

"Don't you mean, you loved me?" she asked, heading down the hall. Derek laughed.

"And I will never stop loving you." He said, planting a kiss on Meredith's lips. She laughed

"Don't you have patient's Dr. Shepherd?" she asked. Derek laughed

"I'll meet you in the OR in a bit."

She nodded, as she watched him go.

God I love him.

----

Izzy opened her eyes and looked around. The last thing she remembered was lying on the OR table, being told to count to 10. Proceeding to sit up, she suddenly felt this sharp pang in her side, and she let out a small cry. Hearing Izzy cry out, Olivia came in, and greeted Izzy.

"Good afternoon Dr. Stevens." She said cheerily, as she upped Izzy's morphine level. Izzy just grumbled a hello and turned to look out the window.

"How'd my surgery go?"

Olivia smiled

"Perfectly. Dr. Sloan is expecting a full recovery."

Izzy nodded.

"Can you page her and Dr. Karev for me?" she asked, still not taking her eyes off the window. Olivia nodded and walked out of the room. Hearing the door close behind her, Izzy looked down at her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she touched it, fearing for the worse. Right when she was feeling for a heartbeat, the door opened to show Addison, Alex, George, and Callie coming in.

"Welcome back Dr. Karev." Said Addison smiling. Izzy nodded her head in acknowledging everyone's presence.

"Is my…"

Addison nodded.

"You're baby's heart is fine. You'll be able to go home tomorrow."

Izzy let out a sigh of relief as she closed her eyes and rested her head on the pillow. Alex came over and squeezed her hand.

"I love you." He whispered. Izzy smiled

"I love you too. But…what is Callie and George doing in here?"

Callie and George exchanged glances.

"Well I was worried about you and Callie,,, kind of has some news…"

Izzy eyed Callie.

"I-I'm pregnant." She said.

Izzy's eyes lit up.

"OMG…that makes like almost off the Seattle Grace girls…expect Christina but she's a little weird any way."

Everyone laughed

"Have you told anyone yet?"

Callie shook her head. "Well…I was going to plan this really big Christmas surprise thing and Derek was going to help…so…"

Callie nodded.  
"I'll tell them then…then."

Izzy nodded.

Everyone started to talk happily, now that Izzy was healthy again, and Callie's good news brought everyone into the Christmas spirit again.

---

"Mr. Sing, I'm going to need you to do what the nurse is telling you to do. It's the only way we can find the problem."

Meredith heard Mr. Sing grumble a reply. Meredith rolled her eyes.

"Relax Dr. Shepherd, focus on the brain." Whispered Derek into Meredith's ear. She nodded and tried to focus, but couldn't knowing that her patient wasn't cooperating.

"Dr. Reyal, please go assist the nurse. He obviously likes you." Hissed Meredith, still searching for the aneurysm. The intern nodded, as she proceeded to the front.

"Mr. Sing..we really need you to do this excercise. Please? For your family."

Mr. Sing rolled his eyes and gave in. Meredith smiled as she listened to Derek's instructions. Slowly and surly, Meredith found the aneurysm and clipped it. She looked up to see Mr. Sing successfully doing the excercise and the intern and nurse smiling. Meredith smiled and turned to Derek who was also smiling.

"Mr. Sing, we found your aneurysm and clipped it. You will now be free of Parkinson's." Announced Meredith. "Dr. Reyal would you like to close up?"

The intern nodded and walked away from the patient. Meredith walked away, and threw her mask into the trashcan and saw Derek following close behind her. In the scrub room, he trapped her against the wall and started to kiss her passionately.

"I love you." He said, in between kisses. Meredith moaned and kissed back.

"Derek…we…can't …do…this…here."

Derek broke away and smiled.

"That was amazing what you just did."

Meredith smiled.

"All thanks to you Dr." she said, kissing him lightly on the lips. Walking out of the scrub room, the two of them headed for the nurse's station.

"Hey, do you know about Izzy's 'Christmas Surprise'?"

Derek nodded.

"I'm helping and I can't tell you." He said mischievously. Meredith gave him the puppy dog pout, but he didn't fall for it.

"You'll just have to wait and see." He said. Meredith huffed, and walked away, mumbling something about talking to Izzy and Christina. Derek laughed, feeling bad he couldn't tell her, but knew Izzy would kill her if he did. He sighed and went the opposite direction, now finally starting his day with his patients.

---

Meredith walked up to Maternity and up to the nurses station, still a huffy from Derek.

"Page Addison Sloan please." She said to the nurse. The nurse nodded, knowing that she didn't want to get on Meredith's bad side, and did as she said. A few minutes later, Addison arrived looking like she had just ran a marathon.

"Someone paged?" she asked a little out a breath.

"Ya…me….you okay Addison?" asked Meredith worryingly. Addison nodded.

"Ya…I'm fine." She said catching her breath. Meredith nodded, and directed Addison towards the nearest exam room. Addison followed in pursuit, knowing where this was going to lead. Closing the door behind her, Addison set up the ultra sound as Meredith hopped up on the exam table, and laid down. The room was quite for a few moments, as Addison prepared for the examination.

"You're quite Meredith." Commented Addison, running the monitor over Meredith's abdomen.

"I just got out of surgery with Derek for a Parkinson's patient." She replied shortly. Addison eyed her.

"There is something else wrong."

Meredith shrugged.

"I haven't been able to talk with anyone all day because I've been with interns and patients and Derek. I really want to talk to Izzy and Christina." She said, looking at the monitor. Hearing Izzy's name, Addison stopped for a moment, but decided not to tell Meredith at the very moment. Nodding her head, she continued on with the examination.

"Well everything looks fine here. You're in the second trimester, 5th month, and your baby is developing fine."

Meredith sighed a sigh of relief and pulled her scrub top down again. Addison smiled.

"You know we haven't talked in a while." Said Meredith, jumping down from the table as Addison put away the monitor.

"Ya, we haven't. We've all been so busy with everything lately, that no one's had time to do anything lately."

Meredith nodded.

"Hey, do you mind picking up the kids today and maybe I don't know, we could go out with Izzy, Callie and Christina, like a girls night out thing?"

Addison's face lit up.

"That sounds like fun. But…I think Izzy's…busy." Said Addison, feeling bad that she wasn't telling Meredith the whole truth. But it didn't seem to bother Meredith.

"Okay that's fine. So I guess I'll see ya at my place around 8 and then we can go…party?"

Addison laughed.

"As long as there isn't any alcohol!"

Meredith laughed.

"All right no alcohol."

Meredith headed for the door but then turned around.

"Do you by any chance know where Izzy is?"

Addison's heart skipped a beat.

"Ummm Room 218 I think." She said, trying now to blurt anything out. Meredith nodded and left the room. Addison slumped onto the table and put her head in her hands. She didn't want to be anywhere near Meredith when she found out what kind of state Izzy was really in.

---

Izzy was lying in bed, flipping through a magazine, still a little sore from her earlier surgery. Hearing a knock at the door, she welcomed her visitor in.

"Oh my god Izz I've had the….WHAT THE HELL?"

Izzy turned to see Meredith standing in the doorway, her mouth hanging open.

"Isobel Steven why the hell are you in a patient's bed?" Meredith demanded, walking over to Izzy.

Izzy looked at her like she was crazy.

"Since when do you call me Isobel and my last name is Karev now."

Meredith shook her head.

"That's besides the point Izzy!"

Izzy sighed.

"I went in for a routine check-up with Addison and she found a tear on my baby's left ventricle. But…she operated and she's going to be fine. I get to go home maybe tomorrow or the next day."

Meredith shook her head and sat down.

"Izzy I…"

Izzy stopped her.

"No I don't want you feeling sorry for yourself. It's Christmas time. Just because I came out of surgery doesn't mean that the surprise isn't still on."

Meredith laughed.

"Speaking of the surprise, I heard that Derek is helping you?"

Izzy's mouth hung open.

"HE TOLD YOU!?"

Meredith nodded and Izzy went ballistic.

"What the hell! I told him NOT to tell you!"

Meredith laughed.

"He didn't tell me anything, just that he was…helping you out."

Izzy eyed her.

"How do I know that you're not lying?"

Meredith looked at her like she was stupid.

"Izzy…since when have I been a good liar?"

"That's true."

The two girls talked for over an hour before a page interrupted Meredith.

"Hey I gotta go take this. I really hope you get better soon, and if you see Christina or Callie, tell them to meet me and Addison at my house at 8 and Addison is picking up the kids."

Izzy nodded.

"What's going on tonight?"

Meredith felt guilty for not including Izzy, but she still told her.

"We're going to have like a girl's night out. But since you're kind of…"

Izzy nodded.

"I understand. Go have fun and NO ALOCHOL!"

Meredith hugged her.

"Yes mother." She snapped playingly as she rushed out of the room. Izzy watched her go, laughing going back to her magazine. But, she wasn't really reading it. In her mind, her brain was working over time to produce the best Christmas surprise ever.

**_A/N: ok i hate reading long a/n's so i'll spare u the grife. Nxt chapter will hopefully also b long...and it will b on x-mas eve...starting w/ the surprise. Ummm i've neglected A LOT of ppl (inculuding kids) so they'll b in there 2. So yes...finally updated...school and golf have taken over my life and so there are only 10 wks left of school...and hopefully the updates will be faster. For now...i'll update when i can. REVEIW PLEASE! ( i already have the ch. forming...so i just need to find time) (o and as u can tell i didn't proof read for once...SORRY for all the mistakes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)_**

**_3+ reveiws gets me started on the nxt chapter!_**


	36. Picture Perfect

**Chpater 36: Picture Perfect**

**December 24/25**

Meredith stood infront of her mother's old house, staring at the door front as a light snow fell around her. She couldn't walk into the house and have all the memories come rushing back to her…she just couldn't; at least not yet.. Looking around, she saw the old wooden swing that never worked. Smiling she walked over to it and sat down on the edge of the swing. Closing her eyes she letting the cold air burn her face. There were so many memories of growing up here as a little girl, as a rebel teenager, and as a young intern, trying to survive hospital life. Turning around, she saw the beautifully lit Christmas tree standing in the corner as all the kids were trying to guess what were in the presents as the parents were sitting on the couches talking without a care in the world. Meredith remembered the first Christmas she spent with Izzy and George as an intern. She had always hated Christmas, and that year was one of the hardest. Not only because she was an intern, but because of all the emotional turmoil she was going through. Meredith laughed to herself as she remembered coming home from work and seeing George and Izzy lying underneath the Christmas tree looking at the lights. Shaking her head, she turned back to the scenery that faced her going over every Christmas that she could remember.

"You know, your going to catch pneumonia then someone's going to have to operate on you, and to be honest, it'll probably be me."

Meredith laughed, as she wiped a tear away from her eye and looked at Christina who was standing in the doorway.

"Last time I checked pneumonia wasn't surgical." Retorted Meredith. Christina rolled her eyes and sat down next to Meredith.

"So what's your point?" she snapped back.

Laughing again, Meredith turned away from Christina and back towards the street. The two women sat in complete silence, just looking out into the Christmas filled scenery.

"You know, I haven't been back at this house in years and it still hasn't changed." Whispered Meredith. She saw Christina look at her, but she didn't meet her eyes.

"I could have sworn that the interns that we sold the house to would have trashed it or at least change it but everything is still the same."

"You haven't even seen the inside yet." Muttered Christina. Meredith laughed.

"I thought that the memories would go away after time, and yet they're still here, as strong as ever."  
Christina sighed and pulled Meredith into a hug.

"You know…you're hugging me."

"Shut up…you're my person." Said Christina. Meredith laughed as she broke away and stood up.

"I guess I'll just have to face them some time won't I?"

Christina laughed.

"No, we could skip the joy fest and go run away to Joe's."

Meredith eyed Christina.

"You got the keys?"

Christina smiled slyly and pulled them out. Meredith titled her head back and laughed.

"I was kidding!" she gasped as she tried to contain her laughter. Christina watched her like she was crazy.

"Yes, but I'm not."

Meredith looked at her.  
"CHRISTINA! You got 2 kids and a husband! Plus I'm pregnant, I can't drink!"

Christina shrugged.

"Damn I thought you were already drunk." Christina said, trying to play hurt. Meredith rolled her eyes and play slapped her.

"Shut up!"

The two of the stood there in silence again looking out into the dark clouds rolling in as the snow started to fall harder.

"I guess we should go in?" Christina said breaking the silence. Meredith nodded.

"It is getting a little cold." Sighed Meredith. The two of the stood up and walked towards the door as Christina opened it and held it open for Meredith. She stood there, looking into the warm house before taking a deep breath, and stepping inside her old house for the first time in over 10 years.

---

Derek was sitting on the couch sipping his Single Malt Scotch listening to all the other surgeons talking and trying to block out the kid's moans of disappointments . But one sound did catch his ear sharply. When the front door opened and closed, Derek's eyes darted to the foyer. All night he'd been wondering where Meredith was. He knew she wasn't in a surgery, and he hoped she wasn't at Joe's because of her pregnancy. So his relief was a bit of an understatement when he saw her enter the foyer followed by Christina. He excused himself from the conversation and got up from the couch and saw Meredith heading for the kitchen. On his way out of the living room, he passed by Christina who gave him a 'u-better-follow-her' look. Derek nodded, and worked his way to the kitchen. Standing in the doorway he watched his wife lean against the sink looking outside the window. She stood there watching the snowfall oblivious to Derek and the rest of the house. Derek leaned against the doorway, watching her every move, but the moment he saw the first tear fall, he was right by her side. She stood there watching the snow, all her senses numb, but then she smelled his smell and the world came flooding back to her. She leaned up against him as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Her body fist perfectly into his, as her head hit his chest. His chin found the top of her forehead as the two of them stood there; holding each other before Meredith broke the silence.

"Why here?" she whispered. Derek lifted his head off of hers and spun her around so her eyes met his.

"What do you mean?" he asked gently.

Meredith sighed and broke apart from him and walked over to the dinning room table.

"Why here? Why this house? Why couldn't she choose her house, or ours, or Burke's, or Joe's for all I care. But why here?"

The tears started to come down harder as Derek started to understand what she was saying.

"Meredith…" he started, but he couldn't finish. He wanted to tell her that he knew how she felt but he didn't. He didn't know what it felt like to be back in a house with so many haunting memories that it hurt. He didn't know that she spent hundreds of hours in this house crying her eyes out. He had no clue how she felt. All he could do was bring her into a warm embrace, and that he did..

"I'm not going to be that doctor or husband who tells you that I know how you feel because I don't. All I know is that Izzy did choose here, and we can't change that. Mer, we can only make this best of this. It's only for 2 nights. The day after tomorrow, we'll leave with everyone else. We'll never come back to this place and we'll let the interns go back to their hidden shrines of us or their secret sex lives. But now, we've got a living room full of friends and kids who are going crazy. C'mon, lets go have some fun." He soothed her. She smiled a small smile as he brought his lips to hers and he kissed her softly.

"OUT! I DON'T WANT YOU TWO CONTAMINATING THE FOOD! OUT!"

Meredith and Derek broke apart to see a livid Izzy enter the kitchen followed by an amused Burke.

"Some things never change do they Shepherd?" he teased, enjoying the moment. Derek blushed as tried to escape Izzy's wooden spoon that was hurtling towards his head.

"OK OK Izzy we're going. Gosh, you know Burke won't be too happy if you injury me with that!" he added giving her a quick wink before he dodged another spoon that was heading towards his head Meredith almost collapsed in a fit of laughter before she too was dodging a towel. The two of them entered the living room, almost in tears of laughter. Stepping into "Santa's village" they saw that all eyes were upon them. The two of them inched their way back to the couch, their cheeks red with embarrassment.

"So Grey, I'm surprised you in Shep haven't snuck into your old room already." Teased Mark. Derek gave him a stern look, and Mark let it drop quickly. Meredith leaned back into the couch, watching the kids play around the Christmas tree.

"Do you know what I'm thinking about George?" asked Meredith, still staring at the Christmas tree. George gave her a skeptical look.

"Umm no." he answered confused. Meredith laughed.

"I remember coming home from a 12 hour shift dead tired from surgery with him." She snapped pointing at Derek, not taking her eyes off from the changing colors of the tree. "I come home to see the house fully transformed into Santa's Freaking village. To quote George 'It looks like Santa threw up in here'. It was that bad. And of course, Izzy was her bright chipper self and we were just standing there, wanting to barf."

"I HEARD THAT!" screached Izzy from the kitchen

Meredith shook her head and continued.

"I never was a Christmas person, so I tried to go with it. To say the least, it wasn't going too great. With this as…uh… jerk over here who failed his freakin boards, we were helping him and with a pregnant Bailey…Christmas wasn't going to great. But coming home after that long day of work, I saw George and Izzy lying under the Christmas tree just looking up at the lights. It was a really an odd sight until I got down there. It was actually kinda nice. Then Doc came down…and it was one of my best Christmas' "

Everyone sat there looking at her and George.

"What it's true!" he said on his defense. "We actually sat there under the tree looking at the lights!"

Everyone laughed and went back to watching the kids play.

"I hope they never have to go through Christmas' like I did." Meredith said, only audible to the people around her. Derek smiled and put his arms around her and just held her watching the kids, only being interrupted when Izzy came in.

"DINNER'S READY! Whoa what happened? Did someone die?"

Meredith laughed.

"Just looking back on memory's Iz." She said, walking past her and into the dinning room. Meredith was trying to shake the memories out of her head when she stepped into the room and saw everyone seated. They were all pretty much staring at her, only because she was the last one in there. Blushing, she hurried over to Derek and took her seat.

"We always have to wait on you don't we?" he whispered into her ear. Meredith played slapped him as she turned to the conversation that was starting up. Finally Izzy and Burke came in with the food.

"FINALLY! WE'RE STARVING IN HERE!" shouted Christina. Burke gave her a stern look and Christina rolled her eyes, going back to Meredith. After Izzy and Burke finished putting out the food and making the kid's plates and serving them at the kid's table, they sat down at their respected places and called order to the table. Izzy smiled and stood up.

"Well before we eat, I wanted to say a few words." A few groans were emitted and they were given an evil 'I will kick your ass because I'm from a trailer park' look and the room was soon silent again.

"First I want to thank Derek for persuading the interns to spend Christmas at a hotel." Izzy paused here for the applause that broke out and the passionate kiss Meredith gave him before Izzy cleared her throat and continued.

"I also have a few special announcements to make." Izzy focused her eyes here on Callie, which she gave Izzy a brief nod to let her continue.

"We all remember that wonderful day when we learned that Meredith was pregnant. Then I learned that I was pregnant, then Addison gave us the great news that she was also expecting and now one more of us has entered the fertility circle." Izzy paused and smiled at Callie. Everyone soon caught on and the room was filled with squeals and congratulations. All the women got up and gave Callie and George a hug, congratulating them. After a few minutes, everyone found their way back to their seats and Izzy continued.

"Well now that, that is over…let's eat!"

Everyone laughed as they grabbed a spoon-full of everything and began to eat. Conversations soon started up again and the air was very tranquil.

"What's the sleeping arrangements?" asked Meredith to anyone around her as she reached over to get her second helping of mashed potatoes. Derek smiled at her and took a sip of his wine.

"Well we get to sleep in your old room. Jacc and Audrey are going to sleep on a air mattress on the floor. Izzy and Alex get Izzy's old room and Mark and Addison sleep on an air mattress in there. George and Callie also get George's old room and Jeremy sleeps on the floor. Burke and Christina get the sofa couch and Amelia sleeps on an air mattress and Chris gets the chair. Bailey and Tucker are going home and coming back in the morning."

Meredith stared at him for a second.

"What?"

"How long did it take you to figure this out?" she asked astonished. Derek laughed.

"About a day in-between surgeries with Izzy's help."

Meredith laughed and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.

"I love you Derek Shepherd." She said softly. Derek smiled and kissed her back.

"I love you too Meredith Shepherd."

"GET A ROOM!" yelled Christina, obviously beginning to get a tad bit drunk. Meredith blushed as she dug into her mashed potatoes and the room laughed and continued their joyful, well cooked, delicious dinner in the Christmas lit room.

---

"PRESENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Meredith and Derek opened their eyes to bright sunlight pouring into the old master bedroom and kids screaming from downstairs. Both of the groaned and closed their eyes again.

"What time is it?" grumbled Meredith.

"Ugh, it's a quarter to six."

Meredith groaned even louder and turned back over trying to catch some sleep. She felt Derek snuggle closer to her as she smiled and felt his body heat.

"Awww don't you too look comfortable!"

Meredith opened her eyes again to see Addison and Mark standing at the doorway with their hands full of coffee mugs.

"This is why I always hated Christmas." Grumbled Meredith as she sat up, accepting the cup of coffee from Addison. Mark laughed as he came over and sat with Addison.

"I think it's cute." He added and Derek snorted.

"Ya just wait till your kid is born and see how cute it is when he wakes you up every 2 hours to want food or like today waking you up at the crack of dawn, when you do anyway, just to open presents from 'Santa'."

Mark laughed.

"That's right. You never did believe in Santa."

Derek shook his head.

"Nope and neither does Audrey or Jaccob." He said proudly as he got up himself and got on his robe. Addison and Meredith rolled their eyes as if to say "stupid boys" and took a sip from her coffee.

"MEREDITH! GET YOUR BUTT DOWN HERE BEFORE I MAKE YOU!"

Christina's cries could be heard all the way from the living room. Meredith laughed as she threw off her covers and put on her robe.

"Better late than never." She sighed as she headed for the doorway, trying to get as much caffeine in her as possible before the kids start attacking her. Mark and Derek was soon behind her followed Addison. Walking into the living room, the room was already a mess. Not only did it look like 'Santa's Village' but it was also a sea of wrapping paper. Meredith sat down on the couch next to Christina watching the kids tear open their presents.

"What What happened?" asked Meredith in disbelief.

"It's that time of year when kids go crazy. I mean…we weren't like that were we?"

Christina laughed, but chose not to say anything in fear that she'll say the wrong thing. . For the next few minutes, everyone sat in silence as they watched their kids massacre the presents. Even though they were 10 and up, they acted like they were 5. Finally, they had unwrapped all but the "Adult's presents" and began to play with everything and shout out thank yous.

"Meredith you didn't have to get them stethoscopes." Laughed Burke as he gave her a hug.

"No problem Burke. And you didn't have to get them labcoats.'  
"Hey they go well with the scrubs that Bailey gave them."

The two of them laughed until Derek came up with a small wrapped present for Meredith.

"For the lady." He said putting it into her hands. Meredith looked up at him.

"Derek…" she started, but he didn't let her finish.

"Just open it." He whispered, watching her. Soon the whole room was watching her as she fumbled with the wrapping paper. Soon she got to a black rectangular box with the 'Tiffany and Co.' symbol on it. She looked up at him and disbelief as he urged her to go on. Opening the top of the box, Meredith saw a beautiful, round diamond necklace that was 18k white gold. The whole room was speechless, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Oh Derek!" she breathed. She turned around to let him clasp on the necklace and she went over and looked at herself in the mirror.

"Merry Christmas my love." He whispered. Meredith turned around and kissed him deeply and passionate.

"Merry Christmas to you too."

"SERIOUSLY?"

Meredith and Derek pulled apart to see everyone looking at them.

"Don't you guys have things to open?" scolded Derek as they all turned back to their presents. It turned out Burke gave Christina a charm bracelet with medical charms on it. George gave Calli pearl earrings to match her pearl necklace. And Mark gave Addison a diamond, diamond necklace to match the numerous earrings that she collected. Christina and Burke had pitched in to get all the expecting mother's a necklace with a baby and the due dates on the back of the pendent. They received the news of Callie from Addison so she couldn't be left out. Soon, all the presents were unwrapped, and the kids began to play with all their new toys.

"This has got to be one of the best Christmas' ever." Announced Derek as he and Meredith were laying on the couch, enjoying the accompaniment of family and friends. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"I wouldn't of asked for more." Agreed Meredith.

"How about tonight, we watch some surgical tapes of your mother Mer after the kids had gone to bed." Suggested Christina.

"CHRISTINA!" scolded Burke as the room began to laugh.

"You know what Christina, that doesn't sound like a bad of an idea." Laughed Meredith.

The room was filled with laughter and joy the rest of the day as the family of doctors enjoyed the precious moments that they got to spend with their family and friends.

"Too bad we can't do this everyday." Whispered Meredith into Derek's ear. Derek nodded and kissed Meredith on the forehead.  
"But I cherish every minute I get to spend with you and the kids and our new one." He smiled as he put his hand on her abdomen. Meredith smiled and kissed Derek as Izzy started up Christmas carols. Even though Christina was Jewish, she even joined in. Soon the whole house was filled with the fairly out of tune voices singing: Deck the Halls. This was definitely, the definition of a Kodak Moment that no one wanted to trade any surgery for.

**_A/N: Ok this was supposed to b ready yesterday, but the stupid fanfic wouldn't let me update. I had to get insturctions from some1 to get it to update...sorry i'd give it to u guys, but i forgot how. Ok, i'm offically on writer's block MAJOR. I need ideas...like seriously. Here's my plan: Filler, V-Day, chapters w/ plot. I need ideas for these chapters. I c that i'm on ch. 36...i plan on having let's say..around 42 chapters. I really like doing this...but i don't have the time ne more. Trust me, when summer rolls aroundnew story, and MILLIONS of updates. So yes, plz give me ideas! (sorry for the small font!)_**

**_ILY U GUYS AND I'D LOVE YOU EVEN MORE IF U'D REVIEW!!!U KNOW THE DRILL!!!!!_**


	37. Life's Little Obstacles

**Chapter 37: Life's Little Obstacles**

Meredith walked down the surgical hallway of Seattle Grace with her hand on her stomach, a smile on her face and Derek's necklace around her neck. It was late February and as usual rain was falling…hard. She had just gotten out of a surgery, and just wanted to be alone for a while to take some time and think. Spotting a bench nearby, she carefully sat down and heaved a big sigh. Closing her eyes, she breathed in and out, trying to relax and just feel the air around her and the baby inside of her. She heard someone come down the hall, but she didn't want to acknowledge them, so she kept her eyes closed and waited for that person to pass. After a few minutes, Meredith opened her eyes and saw George looking back at her.

"George?" she said not sure if it was a question or just a statement.

"You remember when we were interns way back when? When we took the test and Susan died and then everything just seemed like it was torturing us for nothing?"

Meredith nodded and George sat down next to her.

"Remember when I told you it's like we're on the train, and we just need to get off?"

Meredith cocked her head.

"George…where is this going?"

George sighed.

"I'm just wondering…when can we get off? We're all married, we have kids, we have successful careers, but we're still on the train. Our kids hardly know us because we're on call all the time. They put up with everything we do. But, will there ever be a time when…we can get off?"

Meredith sighed.

"I've been thinking about that lately too. With the new baby and all and then Callie and you with your first. It's over whelming. I think about…if Derek and I are always…not there for Jaccob and Audrey, how do we know that we're going to be there for this child? And, when we're tending to this one, they're going to be teenagers with the hormones and crap, and…we'll still be surgeons. On call, saving people, getting home at midnight. Now, the train isn't 200 miles an hour anymore…it's more like 600."

George sighed.

"We need to get off." He finally said after a few minutes.

Meredith nodded.

"Yet we don't." she sighed.

The two of them sat there, looking at the wall as if they were looking out the train's window as the scenery passed them by.

---

Derek drove down the highway on his way to SGH. He just dropped off all the kids and was running late with a surgery that started in an hour and on top of all that, he couldn't get the phone call that he had just moments ago out of his head. Sighing, he sped up a little and tried to get ahead of the 18-wheeler that was blocking his way. Finally, he passed the truck up, and started to ease up on the gas only to slam on the breaks a few seconds later because of the traffic jam ahead. Frustrated with the traffic, he leaned over and turned on the radio, hoping something would calm his nerves.

"Ack, Gwen Stefani how about I escape from you! 1-2-3, like a bird I fly away because I can't stand this song. Ah here we go. Can't go wrong with the Clash… 'What's my name naaaame...naaaame... naaaame...'"

Finally, getting out of the traffic, he exited and got on the access way, seeing the hospital insight. Right when he was about to turn into the main street, his pager started buzzing.

"I'm almost there…hold on!" he snapped at it, slamming on his breaks as the light turned straight to red. Frustrated, he reached over and grabbed his pager.

"Dammit!" he muttered to himself seeing the three numbers he hoped wasn't flashing on the small screen. 9-1-1.

----

"WHATEVER WE HAVE BETTER BE GOOD!" bellowed Derek as he entered the ER fuming mad.

"Trauma room 1 Derek!" Meredith yelled over the chaos as she went back to her patient that was bleeding heavily from his head.

Derek nodded as he threw off his jacket and grabbed his stethoscope from the pocket and entered the room.

"Give me what we got!" he demanded walking over to the intern.

"35 year old female, 18 weeks pregnant…"

"God Dammit…PAGE ADDISON SLAONE!" Derek ordered before the intern could continue.

The intern nodded and scurried out of the room.

"Ok Miss I'm going to need you to follow the light with your eyes ok?"

Seeing no response from the patient, Derek sighed and grabbed the chart just as Addison walked in.

"She's at 18 weeks Addison and isn't responding. I need to get her to an MRI stat!"

"Well Derek, if we want both mother and daughter to live then I guess we'll…"  
"ADDISON!"

"DEREK!"

Derek glared at her.

"FINE! After Dr. Sloane is finished get her up to an MRI and page me." Derek snapped at the intern who was standing against the wall. The intern nodded, trying not to say anything. Derek walked out of the room and made sure to slam the door on his way out. He walked past Meredith who was finishing giving an intern orders and walked into the hospital. Moments later, he heard the doors to the ER swish open and a pair of tennis shoes trying to keep of with his fast pace.

"DEREK STOP!" yelled Meredith, but Derek kept on walking. Meredith sighed and stopped trying to keep up with him.

"Ok, I'll see you later. Good luck in your surgery in a bit and let's talk at lunch!" she called right before Derek turned the corner and out of Meredith's sight.

---

"I don't know. I mean, he was fine at home, then I guess…I don't know."

"It must be that time of month for him."

"Cristina!"

Meredith, Cristina, and Izzy were sitting outside at lunch, trying to relax just for a second.

"I don't know Mer…Cristina might be right." Shrugged Izzy taking a bite of her salad. Meredith rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Hey! I saw you and George talking this morning. What was that all about?" asked Cristina eyeing her.

"I don't know. Derek was dropping off the kids, and I was just trying to breathe with this child inside of me and he just needed someone to talk to."

Meredith answered lightly as she took a bite of her sandwich. The other two just shrugged, not wanting to push her for more answers.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." sneered Christina as Derek came up behind Meredith and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"Hey." She said, giving him a worried look. He just shook his head and sat down next to her.

"How'd your surgeries go?" she asked, still not taking her eyes off of him.

"Eh, both survived, but Addison's going to kill me now. Her baby barley made it out and she says it's my fault. The other one was a 6 year old girl with an aneurysm growing and if I didn't go in, she was going to die."

Meredith nodded.

Izzy and Cristina exchanged looks and almost simultaneously, pushed the emergency button on their pagers.

"Sorry, gotta go Meredith, I've been waiting for these results and…"

Meredith waved them off as they scurried out of the courtyard, trying to give them space. After a few minutes of awkward silence and a few glances back and forth, Meredith finally spoke up.

"Derek what the hell is wrong with you? I don't see why you're so cranky this morning. Your not the one who's pregnant!"

Derek sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.  
"I-I don't know."  
Meredith sighed.  
"Well when you do know let me know because I got patients and a couple of surgeries so page me." She sighed with frustration and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before walking out of the cafeteria. Derek watched her go and leaned back into the chair closing his eyes sighing loudly.

"What have you done Derek? What have you done?"

----

"You know, there's something wrong with Shepherd and I'd like to know what it is."

Burke and Christina were standing by the nurse's station as Christina was filling out a patient's chart. Burke leaned in close to her, trying to get the secret out.

"Burke, your close to me. You're close to me at work where you are my boss. Not my husband, but my boss. So step away from me and go find Meredith and ask her because right now I need to get this girl home before she annoys me anymore!" snapped Christina as she shut the chart closed and stalked down the hall. Burke laughed as he watched her go, and turned to Nurse Debbie who was trying to hide the obviousness of her eavesdropping.

"If you write this in your blog you're fired." Warned Burke as he walked off smiling.

"Whatever you say Chief, whatever you say." She sneered as she began typing rapidly at her computer.

----

"So as you can see Mrs. Douglas, if we don't operate immediately then the cancer will just spread and-"

The tapping her patient's room window interrupted Meredith as she was breaking the bad news to her patient. Meredith turned to see Derek standing there motioning her to come out.

"Dr. Rowing can you continue here? I'm sorry Mrs. Douglas my husband obviously needs me, I'll be right back I promise." Meredith reassured as she stepped aside and walked out of the room.

"WHAT!?" she all about shouted at Derek as the door closed behind her.

"Meredith can we…"

"NO Derek we can't talk somewhere else. You interrupted me when I was breaking the bad news to my patient that she might DIE today. So whatever you have to say you can say it right here and now!"

Derek turned a bright shade of red as he could feel every eye on the surgical floor on him.

"Never mind. I'll pick up the kids after work." He muttered as he walked away. Meredith furrowed her eyebrows as she watched him go, feeling bad for yelling at him but instantly shaking it off before reentering her patients room to continue the conversation still not letting Derek out of her thoughts.

---

Derek stood in the over view of the hospital looking out the full glass window as the rain poured. The American flag blew wildly in the wind as the rain continued to slap the window. Derek ran his fingers through his hair for the thousandth time that day. He had no clue what to do. He yelled at Addison and Meredith was hardly talking to him. What had he done? Sighing he turned around to see Burke standing behind him, smiling.

"Derek!" he exclaimed opening up his arms to him.

"Preston…I didn't see you there." He stammered. Burke laughed.

"Don't worry about it. Here, come into my office." Burke gestured. Derek nodded and led Burke to his office. Sitting down on the couch, Burke closed the door and walked behind the desk.

"Derek, you were my best man, I was yours, we've been together since your first day here. What the hell is wrong with you?" Burke asked.

Derek sighed.

"If I knew I'd tell you Preston." Derek confessed, looking at the door. Burke sighed.

"Derek-"

"Emily's back." Blurted out Derek. Burke opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it.

"Emily's back and so is Thatcher." Derek confessed.

Burke just looked at Derek in shock.

"Does Meredith know?" Burke finally asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"No." Derek whispered, not letting his eyes off the door.

"Well…are they hurt?" Burke tried again.

"I-I don't know." Derek admitted.

Burke shook his head.

"Derek, Meredith needs to know. Is this why you've been going around my hospital acting like you're pregnant your self?"

Derek didn't answer.

"Derek…"

"I'm scared Preston. With Emily AND Thatcher here with Meredith pregnant. The kids are almost 10 and here we are expecting again!" Derek started pouring out his guts.

Burke leaned against his desk listening to Derek.

"I've never seen you like this Derek. Not since…Meredith almost died." Confessed Burke after Derek finished his rant. Derek didn't say anything. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Burke walked over, not taking his eyes off of Derek and opened the door to reveal his secretary.

"Sir. There's 2 people here to see you the Shepherds."

Burke shook his head.

"Tell them I'm busy right now. That…I'm in a surgery." He said, waving her off.

"Sir. I think you need to talk to them. It's the Grey's."

**_A/N: YES!!! FINALLY! An update! And guess what? I SURVIVED ANOTHER YR OF HIGH SCHOOL!!! The nxt step? surviving this golf season of summer and survivie Junior yr of High School. But right now...I'm pretty much done with school. We get out Wednesday , but i'm exempt from my finals, so I'm done. Which means...I have time for updates!!! claps. So I finally updated. 8 more chapters. I finally thought of something to cover me over for the next 5. I decided not to do a V-day chapter, just because I don't have ne thing good. So...some suggestions are appreaciated. And...can't wait till S4...only b/c i didn't lk S3 that much...and hopefully S4 will b better!!!!! So...u know the drill: 3+ means i start writing again! I LUV YOU GUYS!!!! _**

**_READ+ LOVEREVIEW!!!!!_**


	38. Decsions Decsions

**Ch. 38: Decsions Decsions**

**_A/N: a lot of u asked me who Emily was. I told u she was mer's half-sister...but actualy she's full. If u forogt go back to the beginnnig of the story and read. ENJOY!_**

"Meredith you do know that the brain isn't the only thing that's wrong with him right?" snapped Christina impatiently as she paced behind Meredith. Meredith turned around slowly and stared at Christina.

"_Dr. Burke_, are you implying that you think that I'm so egotistical and arrogant that I spent 4 hours on this man's brain just because I felt like it? Not to mention a human is growing inside of me!" answered Meredith with ease. Even though the mask was covering the lower half of her face, Christina knew that she was smiling.

"We'll you are a neurosurgeon." Muttered Christina.

"What was that Dr. Burke?" asked Meredith loudly, still smiling.

"All I'm saying _Dr. Shepherd_ is that if you don't let me open up this man's chest then he might go into v-Tec and then there would be no use for his newly operated on brain." Christina rebutted. Meredith chuckled before going back to her brain only to be interrupted again a few moments later by the telephone.

"Dr. Shepherd, it's the Chief again." Announced the scrub nurse tentatively. Meredith sighed loudly before turning around again.

" Tell him that if he doesn't stop calling me then not only will I answer to this guy's family because he died but also his wife because she never got to cut him open!" snapped Meredith before turning back around. That was the 5th time that Burke had called her during her surgery and she was starting to get annoyed.

"But Dr.-"

"NO!" shouted Meredith. Everyone in the OR exchanged scared looks, and took a step back; all expect Christina who wasn't by any means scared of her.

"Meredith, seriously, this guy needs his heart to be cut opened so he won't die!" Christina snapped, staring at Meredith.

"Fine, almost done here and…GO!"

"Tenblade!"

Christina dove into the heart doing what she did best. Smirking Meredith turned to the intern who was standing as far away from Meredith as possible.

"Close up for me." She ordered as she walked over to Christina.

"Can you take it from here?" she asked, watching her precise cuts. Christina nodded, waving her off.

"Ok, I gotta go see what your husband wants. Let me know how he comes out!" called Meredith as she ripped off her mask and stepped into the scrub room. Not even a foot into the room, Burke's secretary confronted Meredith.

"There's no time to gown down. The Chief wants you scrubbed out and in his office STAT." She ordered. Meredith glared at her as she pulled up the sleeves, scrubbed out and led the way out of the room.

--

Meredith walked the hallway to Burke's office getting weird glances because she wasn't gowned down. After giving them a deathly stare and then gave one to the secretary, she found her self in front of Burke's office. Right before bursting into the office, something caught her eye and she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Dr. Shepherd?" asked the secretary looking back to see her standing there like a statue.

"Is-Is that my father?" Meredith whispered. The secretary looked at Meredith like she was stupid.

"Dr. Shepherd is there anything wrong?" she asked, surprised and a little cocky. Meredith shook her head, but before she could open the door to the office, Thatcher had opened the door was standing right in front of her.

"Meredith?" he asked in his nasal voice.

Meredith just stood there, arm reaching out for a door knob that wasn't there.

"Meredith? Is-Is that you?"

Meredith continued to stand there, staring at her father. Finally, Derek came over seeing the dilemma and tried to free her up.

"Hey there you are." He greeted, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before steering her into the small office. Meredith looked back and saw her father follow them into the office closing the door behind them. Turning back around, she saw that Derek led her to the couch, she sat down next to him, not letting go of his hand and not taking her eyes off her father.

"Dr. Shepherd…Dr. Shepherd? Meredith!"

Meredith broke her trance and looked at Burke for a moment, before coming back to the real world.

"Oh, sorry. Sorry Chief." She mumbled before noticing Emily in the room.

"EMILY!" she squealed before jumping off the couch and embracing her sister in a hug. Emily gave her a nervous hug before retiring back to their father's side. Meredith, deciding on not making eye contact with her father sat back down next to Derek.

"So chief, umm why did you call me 5 times in the middle of surgery?" asked Meredith fully embarrassed by her scene while still trying not to look at anyone but Burke and Emily. Burke looked at Thatcher than Emily then straight into Meredith's eyes.

"Meredith I…don't know how to tell you this." Burke sighed. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Meredith, starting to get confused and worried, squeezed Derek's hand. She didn't want to see his eyes right now and see the 'I'm-so-sorry' look that she knew all too well.  
"Burke…Chief I really need you to tell me this. If you don't then…I don't know because it's obviously something big if my…father…is sitting here right across from me and my sister is next to him whom I haven't seen in what? Over 5 years?"

Burke sighed and put on his glasses.

"I'm sorry Meredith. The…reason it was so urgent to call you into my office is to tell you that…"

The room went quite. For the first time, Meredith's eyes met her fathers for a brief second and seeing his eyes for the first time sent a shiver up her spine.

"Mer…Meredith…I-I have Lu-Luekemia." Emily whispered looking straight into Meredith's eyes. Meredith's face fell as she squeezed Derek's hand extra hard, making him grimace.

"W-What?" Meredith finally answered, not believing what she was hearing.

"It's true Mer. That's why she's…we're here. We need to do a bone marrow transplant, and we need to know if you're a match." Thatcher spoke tentatively. Meredith let go of Derek's hand and walked over to him, staring at him straight in the eye.

"You don't get to talk to me." She growled "And you most definitely get to call me 'Mer'."

"Meredith!" Derek shot up out of his chair and grabbed Meredith before she killed Thatcher. He steered her back to the couch and sat her down.

"What the hell was that?" he whispered. Meredith turned to him.

"My father is sitting here-"

Burke cleared his throat loudly, which made Derek and Meredith stop talking.

"Now, Dr. Grey we welcome you here at Seattle Grace and if you like we can give you your treatment here when we find you a donor. Mr. Grey, we can get u set up for a test and-"

"Oh that won't be necessary Dr. Burke." interrupted Thatcher. Burke, Derek and Meredith looked at him.

"Mr. Grey, you're telling me that you're not a math?" asked Derek, surprised. Thatcher shook his head.

"If I was, I most certainty wouldn't be here bothering you." Thatcher shot back. Meredith rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Meredith, I need you to get tested. Please? I know we haven't spoken in…well forever but please?" Emily pleaded. Meredith looked at her sister, who looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Emily I wish I could but-"

"Trust me, if I wouldn't of thought we were a match I never would have asked you but…now that Rob and the kids died, I-I don't know what I'm going to do. And now that…dad isn't a match, you're my only hope!" Emily started sobbing in the middle of her speech. Meredith sighed and walked over to her sister.

"Emily I'm so sorry. I-I never knew about Rob and your kids. Trust me I'm am deeply sorry. Especially since you had to turn to _him _for help. But, I don't know what I can do. I don't know if I can be a donor since…we'll…as you can see I'm…pregnant."

The room went silent, except for the sniffles of Emily. Meredith's eyes also started to fill up with tears.

"Emily…." But Meredith couldn't form any other words. She looked away from everyone in the room but her abdomen. The room was quiet; everyone scared to speak.

"We...we can admit you for now and then go from there." Burke said finally, breaking the unbearable silence. Without seeing it, Meredith knew that Emily was nodding and Thatcher was squeezing her hand.

"Ok, Ummm Dr. Grey if you would follow me please."

Meredith saw Emily stand up and follow Burke out of the room followed by Thatcher leaving Derek and Meredith alone.

"Meredith…" attempted Derek.  
"I'm going home." Meredith whispered, avoiding Derek's eyes knowing that they were a mixture of love, understanding (even if he didn't), and sorrow. Derek watched her walk out of the office and once the door shut he leaned back in the couch and ran his fingers through his hair.

---

Meredith threw her cars keys on the counter and for once took a deep breath and realized what was going on in reality. The house was quiet…but not for long. Derek would be picking up the kids soon, ans then the house would be full of screaming and the TV blaring. Walking over to the sink she turned on the tap and grabbed the nearest cup (not caring if it was dirty or not) and picked up the aspirin. Titling her head back she swallowed the aspirin and slammed the cut on the counter. Staring out the window, the sun was starting to peak out from behind the dark, ominous rain clouds. The way the sun hit the raindrops made everything sparkle as Meredith's head began to spin. Seeing the sun come out from the dark made her think about life and death. About how one person died and another was born. How she still survived despite her mother. How Izzy lived even though Denny didn't. How at that very moment, her very sister was lying in a hospital bed, dying while she was producing another human life. At that moment she knew what she had to do and didn't care who tried to stop her. Picking up the phone she dialed a phone number that was all too familiar.

"Dr. Burke please." she said into the reviver trying to build of the confidence.

"Dr. Burke."

Meredith heard the deep voice on the other line that made her heart stop.

"Chief…"

"Meredith!…look I'm sorry about this morning but-"

"Chief…I want to get tested, and I want to do it today without anyone knowing expect you and me."

The line went dead for a moment.

"Meredith I-"

"Burke please. Don't do this because you're my boss, don't do it because you were my husband's best man, do it because you're my friend and as my friend, you know the grief I'm going through knowing that my sister is dying." Spoke Meredith, her voice getting confident as she continued. She heard Burke sigh on the other end.

"When do you want to do it?" He finally said.

"Today. When does Derek get off?"

"Now I believe. He was going to pick up the kids and-"

"Good, I'll be there in an hour." Meredith said quickly.

"Meredith-"

"Burke. Please. Keep examine room 4 open for me and PLEASE don't tell anyone. Even Christina. Especially not Izzie, but REALLY don't tell Christina!."

Burke was silent for another moment.

"But you do need someone in there." He said finally, sounding tired.

"Burke please. I don't want anyone in there."  
"Meredith I will not allow you to get tested and go through a bone marrow transplant without someone by your side. It's decided. Bailey will be in there with you."

"Preston!"

"See you in an hour Meredith."

And before she could protest, Burke had hung up. Slamming down the phone Meredith, swung around and grabbed her car keys. Before heading for the door, she decided to leave Derek a note:

_D-_

_Sorry, I was called in. I'm on-call tonight. Don't come down and start yelling at Preston about me being pregnant and what not. They need me there. I'll stay away from my father so my blood pressure doesn't rise. Kiss the kids good-night for me. I'll see you tomorrow. _

_-M_

Feeling bad that she was lying to Derek, she taped the note to the door and locked it behind her. Climbing into her jeep she took a moment to realize what she was doing. Taking a deep breathe, she put the car into reverse and drove back to the hospital, hoping that what she was about to do, wasn't something that she was going to regret in 10 years.

**_A/N: wow this has got to b a record! Yes...well school is out and since i got all ur lovley reviews ( a total of i think 7 or 8...i'd lk more...but i'll take it!) i thought i'd update. Especially since i wanted to and i had the chapter forming in my mind. So yes. Ummm nothing else to say. I got the nxt chapter forming also, so expect that soon. Even though this wk will b busy. I usually update nite so. Ummm...so yes, read, love, review savvy. lol...i'm watchign Pirates of the Caribbean rt now so. u know the drill 3+ makes me want to update sooner! Hope y'all liked this. O...and a lot of ppl have been doing leukima latley. It took me a while to actually decide that...but it was either htat or something else. So ya i choose leukima. If ne one knows if a pregnant person can b a donor or not let me know b/c this rt now is an AU b/c i have no clue if they can or can't. ok i'm done rambling!_**


	39. It's a Matter of Life and Death

**Ch. 39: It's a Matter of Life and Death**

Derek opened the front door as the kids zoomed passed him, jumping onto the couch turning on the TV, just as their favorite show started up.

"KEEP IT DOWN!" shouted Derek over his shoulder as he entered the kitchen, looking for the Advil. Ever since the incident he had with Meredith and her family, his head had been throbbing and he was in need for some pain-reliever. Walking over to the cupboard, he took down the Advil, but in the process he noticed Meredith's note and started to read it. Halfway through, he dropped the bottle and it tumbled to the floor, spilling all the pills; but he didn't seem to notice. Grabbing onto the counter for support, he reread the note over and over again. After reading it about 10 times he put down the piece of paper and ran his fingers through his hair. He couldn't believe it. His pregnant wife. His pregnant Meredith. His freaking PREGNANT love of his life was getting tested…for a bone marrow transplant. He knew there was a likely chance that she was a match, and he knew that Meredith would go through with the transplant if she was forgetting about her baby even though she was about 5 months along. Trying to get a grip he walked over to the phone and dialed Burke's number.

"Dr. Burke speaking."

"Preston." Derek breathed into the phone. He was still trying to understand what was going on.

"Derek?"

"Preston, you have to stop Meredith." Derek whispered.

The line went silent.

"Derek I-"

"Preston, you have to. She's pregnant for heaven's sake. I swear if she goes through with this transplant and kills the baby I will kill you for letting her go through with it." Derek practically yelled into the phone.

"Derek I-"

"PRESTON XAVIER BURKE!"

Derek's voice rang through the house as everything fell silent. The kids had turned down the volume of the TV to try to understand what their dad was saying. Now they were too scared to even move a muscle in their small trembling bodies let along step into the kitchen.

"Derek, calm down. She's not even here yet and-"

"I'm coming down." Interrupted Derek.

"Derek you can't do that!"

"And why the hell not?"

"BECAUSE MEREDITH WILL MURDER ME!" Burke yelled into the phone.

Derek hadn't thought of that. He found the nearest chair and sat down, running his fingers through his hair again. Finally he thought of something.

"I want to get tested." Derek finally said.

"Derek…"

"Burke, I have to."

"Derek, the chances of you being a match is like…1 in 1000000000. There is no way that you're going to be able to donate. I'm sorry." Burke replied, as calmly as he could.

"Dammit Burke I don't care. If this means that I save my wife, my unborn child, AND my sister-in-law then by God I'm going to get tested!" Derek bellowed into the phone.

"Ok." Burke finally said, after taking a few minutes to think over what Derek had said.

"W-What?"

"I said Ok. Meredith should be arriving any minute. I'll…I'll try to stop her before she goes into testing. If you can get down here in 20 minutes, get in exam room 4 and then get out with out Meredith knowing, then I think we can pull this off."

Derek was speechless.

"Thank you Preston." Derek finally said after a few minutes.

"That's why they call me Chief." Burke laughed. Derek cracked a smile and hung up. Sighing he realized what was happening. He was going to try to donate bone marrow to someone who was almost a complete stranger. Then it hit him. The kids. There was no way he could take them to the hospital. Then it was as if another light bulb went off. The kids had Meredith's blood in them. They could…but it was too risky. Meredith would have Derek's head if she knew that he was trying to get the kids tested. But it was a chance he'd have to take. Walking into the living room, he saw the kids scramble back onto the couch and turn the TV back on.

"Hey guys." He said tiring as he walked up behind them. The kids turned around as if they didn't hear Derek come in.

"Dad! Hi! We uh…didn't hear you come in." Audrey said quickly, blushing since she was hiding a lie.  
"Uh huh, is that why I didn't hear the TV when I was talking to Uncle Burke?" he asked, not believing Audrey one bit.

"Don't you mean yelling?" muttered Jaccob, trying to avoid his father's gaze. Derek laughed.

"Ok, so I was more yelling at him. But guys, I have a favor to ask you." Derek's joking voice turned too serious. Audrey and Jaccob looked up at him, scared and worried at the same time.

"Your-Your Aunt Emily has fallen ill and it's nothing that we can fix with surgery. Sh-She has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. Your mom is trying to get tested, but it's really risky because of the baby, which is why I'm going to get tested and it would really help if you get tested too, even though your mom will probably have a fit, but still and-"

"Dad, you're rambling." Audrey pointed out, cutting him off. Derek sighed.

"So what do you say?"

The kids were silent for a minute.

"I'll do it." Jacc said after a minute, turning his gaze onto Derek for the first time. Derek cracked a small smile when he said that and turned towards Audrey.  
"What do you saw princess?" he asked. Audrey sighed.

"If I'm a match, do I HAVE to go through with the transplant if I don't want to." She asked, her voice trembling. Derek looked at her with loving eyes and tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear.

"Not if you don't want to. And same with you buddy." Derek said rumpling his hair.

"Ok. I'll get tested." Audrey agreed. Derek smiled and pulled his kids into a huge embrace.  
"Ok then let's get to the hospital before your mother gets in that exam room."

Derek ushered the kids out the door. He knew he was making the right choice, he only hoped it would work.

----

"Ok let's get this over with."

Meredith's head turned sharply as she recognized the voice that had just opened her curtain that was looking dully at the chart.

"Alex? What the hell are you doing here?" accused Meredith, getting angry.

Alex's head whipped up to see that his patient was indeed his long time friend.

"Meredith? Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing?" he asked, equally astonished as Meredith was.

"I asked first." She said seriously.

Alex gave her look and then gave in.

"Burke put me on Clinic duty for the day. Which I can't believe since I'm a freakin attending. But you, why the hell are you getting tested for a…bone marrow transplant. Meredith, you're freakin pregnant!" he said in a very doctoral tone. Meredith crossed her arms at him and stared him down.

"Don't you think that I don't know that!?" she snapped back. Alex sighed and put her chart down walking over to her.

"Mer, this is harmful in so many ways. Not only to you but your baby. Derek would be crushed if he knew."

"That's why _we're _not going to tell him." She answered angrily but then realized that she already did tell Derek; with the note.

"Alex, please just test me. Derek's going to be down here looking for me and-"

"Meredith, I can't let you go through with this. Not only as your…doctor but as your friend. I'm not testing you." He said in a matter-of-fact voice as he put down the syringe. Meredith huffed and jumped off the bed.

"FINE! I'll just go to Mercy West then! They'll test me!" She yelled at Alex, yanking open the curtain. But Alex was too fast. He stepped right in front of her, blocking her way to get out.

"Meredith Grey-Shepherd, I'm not letting you put your life on the line for this…person. By the way who are you doing this for?"

Meredith sighed and looked away.

"Mer?" he tried again, with more care. Then the tears started to fall.

"Emily's back and she has leukemia and my dad is here too and I don't know. I've just felt useless lately with the pregnancy and I wanted to be independent for once since Derek is always protecting me and I just wanted to do this one thing for my sister just for my self since my selfish father isn't a match and it's just so hard and if Addison ever found out she'd also kill me and I told Burke not to tell anyone but I guess he did and…"

By that time Meredith was hyperventilating and fell into Alex's arms and the tears came down harder. He rubbed her back as he took an oxygen mask and put it around her face as he tried to calm her down. After a few minutes, she started breathing easily again and she took off the mask.

"I'm sorry." She said hoarsely. Alex smiled.

"It's no problem. You're just confused…"

"And pregnant." She added laughing.

"And pregnant." He agreed. The two of the sat there for a bit, trying to recollect themselves.

"Meredith you do know I can't let you do this. And it doesn't matter where you go. If you go to another doctor here at Seattle Grace or Mercy West, no one's going to take you because of the risk to the baby." Alex said, trying to say it calmly. Meredith nodded.

"I know." She whispered.

"Ok well I got other patients to take care of. You wanna lie here for a bit or should I call Izzie or Addison?" he said, trying to get her comfortable.

"I'll…lie here for a while." Meredith said, smiling.

Alex nodded as he opened back up the curtain and walked over to the desk. A couple of people were staring at him and Meredith, but he shot them a few looks and they went about their business. Alex smiled as he pretended as if nothing had happened. He was glad that he not only saved one life, but two today, but he was also hoping that Meredith wouldn't go behind his back and try to save Emily's life even if she didn't mean to harm the baby.

---

Burke sat in his office rubbing his temples. It had been a long day and it was only 1 o'clock. He couldn't believe what he had agreed to. How could he let Meredith go through with the transplant while she was pregnant. How stupid could he be? Looking up from a consent form he saw Christina walking across the bridge, heading towards his office. Suddenly he got an idea. Jumping from his chair, he ran to his door, hoping to catch Christina before she walked off. Lucky for him, she was right in front of the door as he opened it. He quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her inside.

"BURKE WHAT THE HELL!" she exclaimed, taken back by his gesture (usually they didn't show any affection at work).

"Shhhhhhh!" he told her, covering her mouth with his hand.

He quickly shut the door and locked it. He slowly turned around, scared to see what expression his wife's face had on.

"Christina-" he began but she cut him off.

"I got a surgery in about 30 minutes so unless you got something like a big train wreck or like I'm being named 'Attending of the Year' or whatever I'm leaving." She snapped and quickly headed for the door.

"It's Meredith." He said quickly getting to the point before she left. Her arm went limp from the doorknob and she faced him.

"Is she hurt? Is her baby hurt? Are the kids hurt?" She started hurdling questions at him at rapid speed.

"Christina I need you-"

"Burke seriously I need to go!" She yelled impatiently, thinking that there was no real emergency.

"Emily's been admitted with leukemia and Meredith wants to do a bone marrow transplant and she's not letting anyone stop her and she made me swear that I wouldn't tell anyone but Derek found out and he's coming down here and I thought since you're her person and all that you could talk her out of it before she kills the baby because I know she's in a blur of confusion right now and she would never do anything to intentionally hurt her baby and if she does go through with it and if Emily lives, she will never forgive her self for killing her baby" He blurted out.

The room went dead silence as Christina stared at him. After a few minutes of staring at each other, Christina turned at her heel and walked out.

"CHRISTINA!" called Burke but it was too late, the door had already slammed in his face and she was already down the hall determined to knock some sense into her person.

-----

Derek ran into the hospital with the kids behind him trying to keep up.

"Has-he-gone-crazy?" whispered Audrey in-between breathes.

"I-think-so." Replied Jaccob as the nearly missed being killed by the elevator doors that were closing.

They looked up at their dad, hoping that he didn't hear what they just said, but it seemed like he was oblivious to everything around him but the elevator dial.

"Come on damn it move faster!" he muttered underneath his breathe. The other doctors in the elevator looked at him like he was crazy, but decided not to say anything. Finally the elevator doors opened and Derek sprinted out. The kids exchanged a glance as the rolled their eyes and tried to keep up. After a few steps, Audrey ran head on to another doctor who was also running, but in the opposite direction

"Oh I'm sorry." She apologized without looking up, trying to get around the doctor to get caught up with her dad.

"Where the hell are you running to?" the doctor snapped.

Audrey looked up, recognizing the voice.

"Aunt Crissy?" she asked astonished.

Christina rolled her eyes at her old name.

"You know there's not running in the hospital unless it's a 9-1-1." Lectured Christina.

"You're one to talk." Retorted Audrey.

"Tushae." Christina muttered.

The two of them stood there for a minute, awkwardly.

"Soooo where were you running two? Because it was a Trauma with a really good surgery, you would of thrown me out the window to get me out of your way." Chuckled Audrey.

"Ha ha not funny." Answered Christina dryly.

Again, there was dead silence between the two.

"So, I guess I better catch up with my dad." Said Audrey, inching away.

"Was your dad going to go look for your mom by any chance?" questioned Christina, making the link.

"Ya I think so, why?" asked Audrey.

"No reason, I was just…looking for her too."

"Why?"

"Why does it matter." Snapped Christina.

"Well I'm just saying if we're both looking for my mom then-"

"Let's go."

Christina grabbed Audrey's arm and ran off in the direction that Derek and Jaccob ran off too. Not even taking 20 steps, they ran into Alex.

"MOVE EVIL SPAWN!"

"What Yang? Good surgery?" retorted Alex.

"MOVE!"

Christina tried to get around Alex but he was too fast.

"If your going to a good surgery, I do too."

"ALEX WE'RE NOT INTERNS ANYMORE! GET YOUR OWN SURGERY'S! NOW I'M TRYING TO LOOK FOR MEREDITH SO GET OUT OF MY FREAKIN WAY!!!!!" screamed Christina and she maneuvered around Alex. Alex stood there for a second, taken back.

"Why do you want to know where Meredith is?" he questioned.

"Because she's my friend. Alex seriously I will kill you if you don't move right now." Threatened Christina. Alex didn't move, but not because he didn't think Christina would fulfill her threat, but because he was still dumbstruck that she wanted to know where Meredith was.

"Ummm try to Clinic." He muttered, finally getting out of her way.

"FINALLY!" she said in relief as she began to run past Alex, taking in what he just said, and making an immediate left instead of right. Audrey just looked at him and shrugged, as she followed her Aunt towards the clinic.

--

Meredith finally got up from the bed in the clinic and composed her self. Alex's words were still ringing through her head, as she pulled back the curtain and started the head for the exit. But, as she reached for the door, a livid Christina followed by a very tired Audrey welcomed her.

"Christina what the hell?" Meredith asked as her friend ran into her.

"Don't you 'Christina' me!" she snapped.

"What?" asked Meredith slightly taken back.

"ARE YOU ON CRACK!?" screamed Christina in Meredith's face.

Now everyone was staring at them.

"Christina not here." Muttered Meredith, understanding what she was saying.

"WHY NOT? HUH? EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW THAT-"

But before she could continue, Meredith's hand was over her mouth and Meredith was steering her out of the clinic and around the corner where they wouldn't' be heard. Once they were out of earshot, Meredith's hand came off Christina's mouth.

"Who told you?" asked Meredith, beginning to get angry.

"WHAT DOES THAT MATTER? I SWEAR MEREDITH YOU'VE DONE SOME STUPID STUFF BEFORE BUT THIS TOPS IT OFF! YOU'RE A FREAKIN BRAIN SURGEON BUT YOU'R BEING SO BRAIN LESS RIGHT NOW!" yelled Christina.

"OH AND YOU'D UNDERSTAND WOULDN'T YOU? YA YOU HAVE A SISTER WHOSE HUSBAND AND KIDS JUST GOT KILLED AND YOUR STUPID FATHER IS SITTING IN THIS HOSPTIAL AND THEY'RE COUNTING ON YOU TO SAVE YOURS SITER'S LIFE!"

"YOUR PREGNANT!" screamed Christina.

"THERE'S NOT GAURNTEE THAT THE BABY WILL GET HURT!"

"WHY WOULD YOU EVEN PUT YOUR KID IN DANGER MEREDITH!"

Meredith opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed it. Now it hit her. She was about to kill her unborn child, to save her sister whom she hadn't had any contact with in 5 years. But was that her fault? Emily was offered a better job, and she left. Not that they didn't love each other anymore, it was just a matter of a better living.

Suddenly Meredith exploded in a stream of tears. Christina was surprised for a second before coming over and hugging her friend.

"I-I just don't know what to do." Sobbed Meredith. Christina nodded rubbing her friend's back letting her cry on her shoulder. After a few minutes, the sobs subsided and Meredith raised her head.

"So what do I do now?" she whispered to Christina.

Christina sighed and shook her head.

"Honestly, there's not much. We can all get tested, but there's a highly unlikely chance we'll be matches. Aud or Jacc would probably be the best chance or we can put her on the List and wait."

Meredith sighed.  
"I know, but she could die waiting." Meredith said.

"I know, but that's about all we can do." Answered Christina, trying to be as sympathetic as possible.

"Dad was going to have me, Jacc and him get tested." Audrey said, speaking up. Meredith smiled as she tucked a strand of hair behind her daughter's ear.

"That's a good idea, but I can't put you guys in that kind of pain and danger." Meredith said.

"But we want to help." Said a voice behind them.

Meredith turned around to see Derek and Jaccob walking towards them.

"Derek." Breathed Meredith as she ran over to him and hugged him.

"Mer." He said, not letting her go.

"I'm so sorry." She said as she began to cry again, but this time into his shirt.

"Shhhhh I know it's ok." He said comforting, rubbing her back just as Christina did.

"I can't let you guys get tested." Meredith said, looking into Derek's eyes.

"Meredith, we'll be fine. Nothing's going to happen. I just don't want you putting our baby into danger, even if Emily is your sister. If you were my sister, I would never let you do that, and I'm sure Emily wouldn't want you to put her new niece or nephew in danger either."

Meredith nodded, understanding what he was saying.  
"I can't believe it just took a bunch of people telling me that for it to sink in." Meredith confessed with a laugh.

"Sometimes it takes more than once for something to sink in." offered Christina. Meredith looked at her and gave her a smile.

"Thank you, for caring about me." She said, looking at everyone.

"We love you mom." Said Jaccob, hugging his mom, followed by Audrey, Derek and a very reluctant Christina.

"So it's decided. We're all getting tested expect Mer." Announced Derek. Everyone nodded.

"Ok, well I know that exam room 4 is set up and then I'll page Burke, and I'll get a room set up."

Meredith smiled as everyone walked back up to the hospital. Just as everyone stepped into the doors she hung back and put her hand over her stomach and felt her child kick.

"I'm sorry." She softly apologized to her child as she rubbed her stomach and walked into the hospital. She now knew that that not only will her baby will live, but also her sister and it only took her 3 hours to figure that out. Smiling, Meredith headed back into the hospital with a warm feeling back into her heart.

**_A/N: I got some concerned reviews from u guys abou Meredith and the baby, so i changed my plans. So, hope u guys r happy w/ this. LOL. I hit a MAJOR brick wall writing this, so i planned on having htis up A LOT sooner, but just yesterday, i broke through the wall. So, expect another update shortly, b/c i already have the chapter forming. Only a few more left!!! _**

**_REVIEWS R VERY MUCH APPRECTIATED!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!_**


	40. It Really is a Hard Not Life

**Ch. 40: It Really is a Hard Not Life**

**_A/N: This is set about a wk after Emily is admitted..._**

Meredith ran her fingers through her hair as she walked down the halls of SG. It had been a very long day at work with surgeries coming in left and right. Most would of considered it a very good way to end her shift before she had the baby, but it was just another lond day and the baby wasn't helping much.

"You know what, at this very moment, you're your father's son/daughter. You're just your father's child that's stuck in my body." She grumbled as she opened the door to the attending locker room and laid down on the nearest bench as she closed her eyes trying to get some sleep.

"M-Mer-Meredith are you all right?"

Meredith opened her eyes slightly too see George looking down at her concerned.

"I'm fine George, just tired and pregnant." She muttered, closing her eyes again.

"Ok, it's just that, you're lying here, when your shift is over, and you're sill in your scrubs."

"Shut up Bambi, if she still wants to be in her scrubs, she can." Snapped Christina as she pushed past George, handing a cup of water to Meredith.

"Thanks." Mumbled Meredith as she took the water.

"Ok, well I'm going home. Are you sure you're ok?" asked George one last time, before leaving the room.

"George I'm not an intern anymore. I'm just pregnant and have a dying sister here in the hospital. I'm fine, just go." Meredith said, trying to convince him. It seemed to work, because he flashed her one last smile and left the locker room.

"You're not really fine." Christina hissed, as she threw her scrub top into the hamper.

"How would you know?" snapped Meredith, as she attempted to stand up.

"Because, your pale and you look like you're about to mcvomit all over the floor." Christina answered simply.

"It's nothing, just this pregnancy, then my sister here, and surgery and you know…life." Meredith said, trying to shoo Christina off.

"Uh huh sure, and I'm the fairy godmother." Retorted Christina. Meredith let out a small laugh.

"You've been reading too many fairy tells."

Christina shot her a death glare as she opened the locker room door, and let it close behind her. Finally Meredith had the room to her self. She let out a small groan, before hoisting her self up and waddled over to her locker.

"Wow, you do look like shit." Meredith told herself as she looked in the mirror. Laughing, she pulled off her scrubs, and put on her sweats. That's about all she wore lately, since that's about all she had enough energy to put on. Right before, she closed her locker, her pager began to peep.  
"Damn you." She cursed, looking down at the screen. Her whole body went cold, as she stood infront of her locker for a moment, before rushing out of the room and down the hallway, hoping it wasn't too late.

--

"CHARGE TO 300…CLEAR!"

Derek was standing infront of Emily's bed, barking orders to the intern and nurses, trying not to hide his emotions; but it was getting harder and harder with each passing second since Thatcher was in the back ground screaming.

"GET HIM OUT OF HERE!!!!" bellowed Derek as he turned his attention back to Emily.

After the nurse ushered Thatcher out of the room, the only noise was from Emily's stats, dropping.

"CHARGE AGAIN!" ordered Derek.

Once again the defibrillator was charged Emily was shocked again but there was no change in her status

"Derek…"

Derek turned around in the mist of all the chaos, to see Meredith standing in the doorway, with tears welling up in her eyes.

"Meredith…I...WHO PAGED HER?" he demanded. Nobody spoke in fear of Derek. The only sound in the room was Emily flat-lining.  
"Derek…" Meredith spoke again, but she couldn't form any other words, except his name.

"Meredith I need you to get out of here now. I'm not telling you this because I'm your husband, but as a doctor who can't think with you here. Meredith, this isn't a suggestion…it's an order." He spoke sternly. She looked into his eyes, and saw that he was scared, but trying to stay strong.

"Derek…"

"Meredith please?"

"Dr. Shepherd we need to know what to do." Spoke the nurse tentatively. Derek looked away from Meredith, and forced himself to look at Emily.

There was no saving her now. He had done everything that he was supposed to don and even more. He knew that she had gotten worse waiting for a donor, and it was only a matter of time before her body just gave up. Derek sighed and closed his eyes, knowing he was going to regret what he was about to say, but he had to do it.

"T-Time of d-death 8:42." He whispered.

He could feel tears streaming down his face as he turned and faced Meredith, who was heading out the door.

"Mer-Meredith!" he called trying to run after her, but she didn't listen. She just kept on walking, hoping that she would soon wake up from this horrible nightmare.

---

Christina sat in Burke's office frustrated with their petty argument.

"Why can't you just….I don't know kick them out?" she asked, starting to get fed up.

"Christina! They're just as essential to this hospital as we are." Burke answered calmly.

"But, they're…nurses." She answered in disgust as she stood up.

"Christina…" started Burke but he was quickly cut off.

"You know what forget it, I'm going home."

Christina stood up, and headed for the door, only to have it wrenched from her hands. Christina was standing face to face with Derek, their noses only inches apart.

"D-Dr. Yang." Derek addressed her quickly, avoiding eye contact.

"McDreamy." She nodded curtly as she walked past him without second though. The only sound Burke and Derek could here was the squeaks of her tennis shoes echoing down the hall.

"Was-Was I interrupting something?" Derek asked, looking from the direction Christina was walking back to Burke.

"No, just another petty argument about the nurses." Burke answered, staking together the papers on the desk then looking at Derek. "What's wrong?"

"What? Nothing's wrong…I just…Emily died."

The office went an eerie silent.

"Derek I…I'm so sorry."

Derek closed his eyes and shook his head.  
"I'm the one that's fine, it's just…I'm worried about Meredith."

Burke rubbed his temples.

"Derek…I know that you don't want to hear this, but I have to tell you this. Meredith doesn't need your protection. I know that you mean well, but during her pregnancy especially, she doesn't want you hovering over her like a cloud and protecting her. Give her space and independence. Especially now with…Emily. Let her do stuff on her own for right now, until she reaches out to you again." Burke said, calmly and looking into Derek's eyes. Derek plopped down on the couch and put his head in his hands.

"So…what do I do now?" Derek asked, from behind his hands.

"What do you mean?"

Derek emerged from his hands, his eyes red and puffy and his hair a mess.

"What do I do? I mean, she's going to be a wreck now that her sister has died, and the funeral, not to mention her being very pregnant and hormones raging. Burke, what the hell am I supposed to do?"

Burke sighed.

"Derek, there's not much you can do. She just started maternity leave, so keep her busy. She's going to want to come here and be a surgeon, but you can't let her. Take her away even for a few days. Pamper her, but give her space and independence. Show that you love and care her without over powering her."

Derek nodded.

"Take her away for a weekend, ya." He muttered to himself. "Hey, can you…take the kids…a weekend from next?" Derek asked, realizing that Burke was sitting in front of him.

"Are you asking for that weekend off?" Burke asked, with a smile.

"Please?" Derek begged, looking pleadingly into Burke's eyes. Burke chuckled, and nodded.

"Thank you so much." Derek sighed leaning against the couch, only to be interrupted by his cell phone.

"It's Meredith." Derek sighed looking at the caller ID.

"You should go and remember what I said." Burke said, giving him a wink as Derek smiled, leaving the office, taking in the advice that Burke had given him.

---

Izzie opened the front door of Meredith's house and stepped into the foyer. Looking around, the house was pitch black, except for a small light that came from the kitchen. Softly closing the door behind her, she crept towards the kitchen, trying not to make a sound in the quite house. When she finally reached the kitchen's doorway, she stopped for a second, trying to take in the sight. As she looked around, she let out a small gasp. Meredith was hunched over the table, sound asleep. Her cheeks were tear streaked, and her eyes were red and puffy. The telephone was by her cheek and a large bottle of tequila stood close by. Izzy finally breathed again when she saw that the bottle hadn't been opened yet. Walking over to Meredith's still body, she began to clean up the mess. First, she made sure that the tequila bottle was put away in a safe place; somewhere the kids wouldn't be able to reach it, and somewhere, where Meredith wouldn't be able to find it, until her pregnancy was over. As Izzy began to tidy up, her baby started to kick.

"Shhhhh not now." She whispered to him softly, but it wasn't soft enough. Meredith began to stir as she was awaken to Izzy in her very pregnant self, cleaning up her kitchen.

"Izz-Izzy, what are you doing here?" Meredith asked, surprised, as she rubbed her eyes. Izzy stood in the middle of the kitchen, with a dishtowel and one hand, and a pan in the other.

"Well, I-um. I just wanted to make sure you were ok." Izzy confessed, setting down utensils on the counter.

"Izz, you should go home. I'll be fine. Derek will be home soon and-"

"Meredith, you can't fool me. Plus, you're a bad liar." Izzy laughed. Meredith' didn't even crack a smile as she looked at Izzy.

"Izzy, I can take care of my self, so please, can you leave?" Meredith pleaded.

"Seriously? Seriously? You want me to believe that you can take care of your self? Meredith Grey-Shepherd, you are not fine and you cannot take care of you self. You have twins upstairs that have no clue what's going on, a husband that's probably worried sick that's driving like a mad man home, and a whole hospital that cares about you, wondering if you're ok. So no Meredith, I'm not going to leave here, until I assess that you're ok." By the time Izzy was done speaking, she could feel her blood pressure rising slightly, and sweat was starting to pour from her face, not to mention she had a look on her face like she was about to kill Meredith.

Meredith sat in her spot, staring at Izzy.

"Then what the hell am I supposed to do?" Meredith finally asked, trying to sound angry, but wasn't convincing Izzy one bit.

"For one, you can get your ass upstairs and get some sleep. Tomorrow, I want you down at the hospital, for a check up, then I want-"

"You to join your wonderful husband on a 4 day vacation over at Kachess Lake."

Both Izzy and Meredith's heads shot up as Derek entered the kitchen with a big smile as he held two plane tickets. Meredith just looked at Derek like he was crazy.

"Derek are you on crack?" she finally said standing up. Derek's face fell as he set the tickets down.

"Meredith, this is what we need…what you need." He said trying to remain calm.

"Derek, my sister just died, and you want to go take a vacation? I-I can't. I got a funeral to plan and-and…"

"And this would be the perfect time for you two to take a vacation." Izzy said, cutting in. Meredith whipped around and shot Izzy a glare.

"Izzy are you serious? I can't take a vacation now!"

"Why not?" Izzy and Derek asked in unison. Meredith sighed and sat back down at the table rubbing her head.

"Because-Because…haven't you been listening to me? My freakin sister just died, my father is here, and I'm pregnant!" She said, trying very hard not to yell.

"Mer just breath." Derek said, soothing, walking over to her.

"Don't touch me." She said very coldly.

"Mer-Meredith just listen to me for a second. Think about it. You can still have the funeral. Derek, when are you planning to leave?"

"Weekend after next." He replied, rubbing circles in Meredith's back, after she let him touch her.

"Perfect. Ok Mer, look. Have the funeral, this weekend since it's only Monday. Then get your check up, take a few days to pack, and then relax before you take your trip." Izzy said, slowly, and convincingly trying not to make Meredith blow up again. The kitchen was silent, as Meredith thought about the situation.

"Ok." She muttered, still looking cross.

"Yes? Did she say yes?" Derek said, his face lighting up. Izzy nodded as Derek grabbed Meredith and kissed her passionately.

"Ok, well umm I'm going to go now." Izzy said, trying to excuse her self before things got heated up. Meredith pulled away from Derek and walked over to Izzy.

"Thanks." She said, pulling Izzy into an awkward, pregnant hug.

"No problem Mer. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"See ya."

Izzy smiled as she walked out the door, leaving Meredith and Derek to themselves.

"Are you sure you're ok?" asked Derek, once Izzy left. Meredith smiled seductively as she pulled Derek into another heated kiss. Derek smiled as he led her upstairs. They closed the door behind them, so they could have one of the best nights they've had in a long time.

**_A/N: Hello. Well...i wasn't very happy about the amount of reviews I got. C'mon guys, I'm saying we got about 5-7 more chapters. Finish strong...plz? I love the reviews, and I would really like to know what you guys thought about the chapter. I really thought this one was a "Grey's Anatomy" chapter. I was laughing about how much it really sounded like Chrsitina, George, Izzy, and Mereidth in there. So...i have the next couple chapters planned out. I thought it was essential to have Emily died. I know it was kinda sudden so here's what happened: Everyone got tested, and no one was a match :( so she died waiting for a donor. I'm sorry guys. But yes...births will be soon! Plz stay with me...and reviews i love (U know what happens if i get 3+)_**


	41. Pregnancy, It's Life

**Ch. 41: Pregnancy, It's Life**

Meredith wokeup the next morning with the sun shinning on her face. She had the rub her eyes for a second the make sure that she wasn't dreaming. The house was and eerie quiet, but then again, Derek had had an early surgery, and the kids had school. Propping herself on her elbows, she looked around thinking. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. Emily was dead. Meredith flopped down into her pillows and sighed deeply. She didn't know why it was affecting her so much. She hadn't talked to her in over 5 years and it wasn't like she had donated her marrow. After a few minutes of wallowing in her misery, she decided that it was the pregnancy hormones that were getting her all worked up. Suddenly, a loud bang from the kitchen, followed by hurried footsteps up the stairs, broke Meredith's train of thought.

"Oh good your up."

Christina's face suddenly appeared in Meredith's doorway. She had to scramble to cover up her naked upper body from Christina.

"Oh it's not like I haven't seen it before." Christina said, rolling her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Meredith, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Derek and Izzy ordered me over here to get your ass down to the hospital so Addison can check you out before she goes on leave and you leave for your sex fest vacation." Christina said, in a dry voice, walking further into the room.

"I can drive to the hospital myself." Meredith said, glaring at Christina who was sifting through her closet.

"Uh huh, and Izzie could try to kick my ass and she can definitely kick your husband's ass for letting you drive here which could result in a major car accident killing you and your baby. Ya, that will go real well with Izzy and McDreamy." Christina responded, holding up a pair of pregnancy jeans and shirt. "Here, put these on." She threw them at Meredith who just looked at Christina.

"You're not my mother." Meredith muttered looking at the clothes that lay in front of her. "And by the way I kinda need you to leave for me to get dressed."

Christina rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but I'll be downstairs waiting for you, drinking your coffee." She announced as she left the room, letting the door close behind her. Once she heard Christina's footsteps pounding on the stairs, she tore the sheets off her body and ran towards the shower. All Meredith wanted was something that would let her forget the world, at least for 10 minutes, maybe 5. Her body automatically relaxed, once it came in contact with the hot water. Meredith let out a slow breath, and she tried to feel the water running down her body. She could feel her child kicking like crazy, as she put a hand on her abdomen.

"Just a little longer, and you'll be part of this crazy messed up hell that we call life." Meredith said to it, soothingly.

"MEREDITH!"

Christina's shrill voice filled the house and the shower, which made Meredith open her eyes, and get out of her relaxation state.

"CALM DOWN! GIVE ME 5 MINUTES!" Meredith yelled back angrily. She loved Christina; she really did, but sometimes, if just killed Meredith, how…how Christina like she was. After rinsing, and repeating, Meredith stepped out of the shower, clean and refreshed. Soon, she was downstairs, dressed, hair combed, make-up applied and ready to go out.

"Took you long enough." Christina mumbled as she got up from her seat on the couch as she turned off ER.

"I can't believe your watching that." Meredith commented, grabbing some coffee.

"What? It's funny to see how they _think_ that's how an ER runs." Christina responded, grabbing the cup away from Meredith, which earned her a death glare.

"Fine I'll get my own."

Meredith laughed as she grabbed a thermos, and poured the rest of the coffee into it.

"So when are you two leaving for your sex-"

"You know, we're not going just to have sex. We might not even have sex at all" Meredith interrupted, as she headed out of the kitchen, going straight for the door.

"You an McDreamy, going what a week without sex? That's physically impossible." Christina said, as she grabbed the keys off the counter.

Meredith rolled her eyes as wrenched open the front door and headed for the car, making Christina close it behind her.

"So you didn't answer my question." Christina said, staring up the car.

"We're leaving weekend after next if all goes well AND we're only going to be gone a weekend, that's all _your_ husband would allow him to take off." Responded Meredith, giving Christina a quick glare then turning back to the window, trying to avoid Christina's eyes at all cost, as the car began to move.

"Why aren't you leaving like tomorrow? Why so long from now?"

"Well, with the funeral and all, Derek thought it would be best to do it next weekend."

"Uh huh, and what if you go into labor. What are you going to do? Give birth with the wolves?" Christina asked in her usual sarcastic voice.

Meredith shot Christina deathly glare, that shut her up quickly.

"Well, the funeral will be coming up soon and I was going to ask Izzie, Addie, and Callie to help out with it since I can't do it alone. Plus, I want to get it done before Derek and I leave next week, it's just one less thing I have to do." Meredith said quietly after a few minutes of a still silence. Christina just nodded, knowing better than to say something, especially now.

"So, what are you going to do with the kids?" She finally asked, hoping it was safe enough to speak again. Meredith turned to her, giving her a confused look.

"What?" Christina asked in her own defense, as she exited the highway.

"Burke hasn't told you?"

"Told me what?" Christina asked, getting annoyed.

"Well…you're taking them. He offered."

"Don't I get a say in this?"

Meredith turned towards her.

"You're not going to take my kids?" She asked, surprised.

"No, I am, I just wanted to know if I got to decide or not!"

"Christina!"

Christina was silent for a moment, thinking it over.

"CHRISTINA!" Meredith yelled, smiling, knowing that she was kidding.

"Ok then, gosh. I'll watch them. Keep your panties on." She finally said, taking a right turn, with the hospital in view.

"What? What's wrong?" Meredith asked, trying to figure out what Christina was hiding.

"Nothing's wrong, I just wish he would have told me that's all. Look, we're finally here." She said quickly as she pulled up into her usual parking space and killed the ignition. Turning towards Meredith, Christina's face relaxed and started to fill with sympathy.

"Mer, I'm happy for you I really am and I know you're going through a tough time right now with the baby and well…Emily. Just, go easy ok? Let Derek spoil you a little bit. When you go on vacation, you don't worry about reality you, just…relax. I know with Emily…dying so soon and with the baby, things can be kinda complicated, just remember that…I'm here for you." Christina said, as sincerely as she could. Meredith cracked a small smile.

"Thanks, for everything." Meredith said, pulling Christina into hugs.

"You do know that-"

"Shut up, I'm pregnant." Meredith muttered into Christina's shoulder, but they were cut short, by the shrill sound of Christina's pager.

"Ugh, I swear sometimes I just wanna throw this thing against the window." Christina grumbled, looking at the screen, but Meredith didn't buy it for one minute.

"It's 9-1-1 isn't it?" she asked, eyeing Christina.

"No, it's just Burke wondering where I am. He can keep him panties on for a few more minutes." Christina answered, throwing the pager into her purse. Meredith laughed as she rolled her eyes.

"C'mon, my stupid husband is probably pacing the bridge, wondering where I am." Meredith said, laughing. Christina didn't say anything, as she got out of the car, and helped Meredith out also. Both women started to walk up to the building, just as Mark walked up behind them.

"Need some help?"

Meredith jumped when she heard Mark's voice.

"What the hell McSteamy? Are you trying to give her a heart attack?." Christina snapped as they walked into the lobby of the hospital. Meredith just laughed at the comment, as she started to look for Derek.

"Shut up McBitchy." Mark snapped back, but soon regretting it, knowing Christina was going to win this match.

"You better watch it-

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP! You're friends for christ sake so why do you always have to pick fights. I'm not in the best mood right now, especially since I'm late and I still haven't seen my husband. Oh and on top of all that, my sister died yesterday. So for right now, I'm blaming it on you stupid boys and your stupid penises that make me hormonal all the time and fat, in which I can barley walk. So right now, I hate boys, and their stupid penises because as far as I'm concerned, all of this is your fault!" Meredith announced angrily into the lobby. Everyone turned to look at the three of them, but Meredith didn't mind. All she wanted to do was lay down and get to see her baby. Was that too much to ask?

"Awww c'mon we can't be that bad." Mark finally joked, as he reached for a wheelchair.

"Easy for you to say, all you have to do is give us pleasure and decide the baby's sex." Meredith muttered as she eased her self-down. All Mark did was laugh as Christina shot him a look as she began to push her into a vacant elevator.

"Hey we have to pee too." Mark joked, but soon shut up because of the glare that Meredith gave him.

"So going up to see my wife?" He asked as the doors closed.

"No Mark, I'm here to perform brain surgery on a 6 month old baby. YES I'M GOING TO SEE ADDISON!" She yelled, as Mark pressed the 5th floor button.

"So how has your wife been? This is all new to you. At least Derek knows what to expect." Meredith joked, her mood changing dramatically as the elevator began to move.

"Ya baby's screaming at the top of their lungs at 2 a.m. and you only got home half an hour earlier from surgery and all you want is sex, but you can't because of the baby." Christina muttered, looking at the elevator timer. Both Meredith and Mark stared at her.

"What? It's ture!" She exclaimed in her defense.

"Ok, well now that I've got that in my mind, I guess that'll be part of the rollercoaster ride that we're all ready on, but we're getting through it. I'm just worried because now, she's going on maternity leave, she's going to be bored and hormonal. I can just see her calling me in the middle of surgery so I can run out and get her a pint of chocolate chip ice cream." He laughed.

"Addie wouldn't do that. She knows how important surgery is. She would just wait till after to do it." Meredith smiled.

"Gee thanks." Mark said sarcastically, as the doors opened. Before they could take a step out, Derek welcomed them.

"There you are!" He exclaimed as he leaned down and kissed Meredith on the cheek.

"Derek, move!" Christina called from the back of the elevator. Derek rolled his eyes as they all began to move out of the way.

"How was surgery?" Meredith asked, as Mark began to push her again, heading for Addison's office.

"Eh, could have been worse, but she survived. I got an intern in there now watching her to see what the damage is going to be." He sighed, as the turned right.

"I'm sorry." She said grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze.

"Thanks." He said, giving her a McDreamy smile as the stopped infront of Addison's office.

"Ok, well I'm going to go now, since you two are playing eye sex, and I'm personally getting creeped out by out." Mark said with a shiver as he knocked on the door, then opened it to reveal a very tired Addison doing some paper work.

"Aren't you supposed to be on maternity leave or at least taking it easy?" Derek said loudly, making Addison jump 2 feet in the air.

"DEREK SHEPHERD DON'T DO THAT!" She yelled, obviously stressed out. Everyone laughed as she got up and waddled over to them. "And besides, my leave starts tomorrow smart ass."

Meredith had to bite her lip t keep from laughing so much as Addison held the door open for everyone.

"So we ready?" She asked, trying to put on the best fake smile she could.

"Ok, the whole 'Yes I'm happy first time pregnant woman whose trying to get off work but can't because she's a work alcoholic' act isn't working." Meredith said, giving Addison a smile.

"Uh huh, just follow me." Addison snapped at Meredith, but giving a quick smile after it as Derek began to push her down the hall. Addison opened the nearest exam room door as everyone piled in.

"Ok, seriously guys, I only want Derek and Addison in here. Don't you have some surgeries or interns to terrorize?" Meredith asked as she hoisted her self up onto the examination bed.

"Fine, I got a surgery any way in an hour. See ya later Mer." Christina said, giving her friend a quick hug before jogging down the hall towards the elevator. Once Christina left, all eyes turned to Mark.

"What? She's my wife. I can be here if I want to." He said, standing his ground.

"Mark." Addison hissed, giving him a deathly stare.

"Fine, fine, just page me when you're going to leave or something." He said, rolling his eyes, leaving the room. Addison sighed once the door closed and started to hook up the monitors.

"So Mer, how as things been going?" She asked, trying to make small talk. Meredith looked at Derek who gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand.

"Well, with life, things are pretty suck. With the pregnancy, everything's been going pretty good. He's kicking like mad though." She said, rubbing her abdomen. Addison smiled as she pulled Meredith's shirt up and squirted the gel on.

"Ok, in a minute, we should see your child on the monitor."

The room went silent, except for the sound of the soundwaves of the ultrasound.

"And there he is!" Addison announced. Meredith and Derek leaned in closer, getting a good look at their child.

"It-It's beautiful." Meredith whispered, tears streaming down her cheek. Derek kissed Meredith's forehead as the marveled at their baby. Addison smiled, taking in the moment.

"So, do you guys want to know the sex of the baby?" Addison asked.

"Yes!"

"No!"

Meredith turned to Derek and cocked her head.

"Derek, you know we decided to let it be a surprise!" She snapped at him.

"I know, but…I want to know." He said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Derek!" She snapped, slapping his hand away.

Derek was taken back for a second before smiling again.

"Ok, whatever you want. If you don't want to know the sex of the baby, then…I'll wait too."

Meredith's face relaxed as she looked up into Derek's eyes.

"Thank you." She whispered as he leaned in and kissed her, which quickly led to a passionate kiss.

"Ummm, you do know I'm still here right?" Addison announced. Derek and Meredith pulled away quickly, fully embarrassed, of what they were doing.

"Ummm, ya. So…I think I'm going to be going now. You know, surgery and all. I'll see you later Mer." Derek said, stumbling over his words and he kissed Meredith's forehead one more time before leaving. Once the door closed, Addison and Meredith erupted in a fit of laughter.

"Did he just?"

"And then he!"

Neither one of them could form a comprehensive sentence because they were laughing so hard. Finally, after a few minutes, the laughing subsided, Addison wiped away a few tears before straightening up again.  
"So, Meredith. How are things really going?" She asked sincerely as she handed Meredith a cloth to wipe away the gel from her abdomen.

"I don't know. I mean, it only happened yesterday. I guess it hasn't kicked in yet." Meredith admitted as she wiped away the messy gel, and climbed down from the table as Addison quickly took Meredith's place.

"Well, if you ever need anything, I'm always here. Especially since I'm going on leave after today." She grumbled as she laid back.  
"And we're here too Mer."

Meredith and Addison turned around to see Callie and Izzie walking in.

"Hey…what are you guys doing here?" Meredith asked, slightly surprised.

"Well, Addie said that she could fit us in after you, so we decided to come up and pay you a visit." Callie said, pulling Meredith into an awkward hug.

"Thanks guys. And now that I think of it, could you help me with the…funeral? I can't do it all alone, and since you're going on leave in the next few days I thought…"

"Mer, we'll help you. You can stop rambling." Callie said as she came over and hugged her. Smiling, tears came to her eyes Meredith's eyes.

"Thanks guys." She whispered as she quickly wiped them away. Everyone stood there in an awkward silence, not knowing what to say.

"Here Mer, I'll take over and you can go…"

Izzie said, taking the gel and wand away from Meredith as she began to measure Addison. Meredith smiled a sarcastic smile as she joined Callie on the bench.

"You know Iz, I could have done it, even though it's been what 15 years since my obstetrics rotation. I can fully administrate a sonogram correctly." Meredith pointed out, laughing as she sat down (which was quite hard to do.)

"Uh huh Mer, is that why you grabbed the wrong wand?" Izzie said with a wink as she turned towards Addison.

Callie rolled her eyes as she began to flip through and old magazine. Once again, the room was filled with an awkward silence.

"What's wrong with us?" Meredith announced. Everyone looked over at her like she was infected with a rare disease.

"What do you mean?" Callie asked, throwing down the magazine.

"I mean that we were once talking and laughing and driving everyone crazy. Now we're married and and…and pregnant and we don't talk anymore. What's wrong with us?"

Izzie rolled her eyes as she turned back to Addison.

"Meredith we-"

"No, no I know what you're going to say. 'Meredith we know that you're going through a tough time with Emily dying and all, and we just don't want to say the wrong thing.' I know that speech all ready. I'm dark and twisty remember? But that doesn't mean that we have nothing to talk about!"

The room was silent, except for the sound of Addison's baby's heartbeat that suddenly filled the room.

"I-uh found…them." Izzie said tentatively, knowing that Meredith could erupt any second.

"Thanks Iz, wait them? As in more than one? As in…twins? I'm having twins?" Addison looked at Izzy and then the screen.

"Izzy, there's no way I can be having twins. There's no possible way that I-"

"Addison Forbes Montgomery-Sloan. Shut the hell up! You're having twins okay? Gosh, we get that." Callie said, standing up and walking over to Addison, giving her a hug and a smile.

"But-"

"Addison if you say one more thing about you having twins, I swear I'll slap you." Meredith said, also giving Addison a hug. "Oh and congratulations."

Addison finally let it sink in and smiled.

"Wow, I'm having twins. I've told so many people that, but just hearing it told to me. It's just…wow. I'm having twins!" She whispered looking at the screen.

Suddenly, the room erupted in laughter, as the atmosphere lightened, and talk started erupt, as they began to catch up on many years that were missed.

**_A/N: So, sorry that this is kinda one big long, paragraph thingy. I just wrote, and couldn't find a place to jump to another subject thing. So i had this written, then i realized it was 5 pages, and i was stuck. Lk, stuck for 2 weeks. So, i was planning on adding more lk Izzie and Callie getting their sonogram, but i couldn't think of anything good. Personally, i don't lk the end, but it's up to you to decide. I've also been sick with pneumonia (which sucks to let you know, don't get pneumonia if you can avoid it) and haven't really gotten a chance to write. Also, i'll be going to Arizona for a wk, so I'll write, but not update. I'll update once i get back, if i write. I'm planning on only about...4 more chapters. The funeral, the vacation, and the pregnancys. Then an epilouge. So yes. I shall go now. READ, REVEIW!!! 5+ gets you a new chapter faster ;) 3+ just makes me want to update._**


	42. Another Rainy Day in Seattle

**_Ch. 41: Another Rainy Day in Seattle_**

Meredith entered the funeral home with Audrey hanging on one arm and Jaccob on another. Derek followed closely behind them, looking just as solemn as his family. The rain outside completed the mood, as the family entered the main foyer where the funeral programs were, and where many of their friends stood. Trying to be brave, Meredith tugged along, thinking it was better to face them now, rather than later. George looked up, to see the Shepherd family approaching them, as he stepped forward, to be the first to greet Meredith.

"Hey Mer." He whispered as he pulled her into a hug. She smiled weakly as the kids let go of her hands and went to join their friends.

"Hey." She greeted trying to look her best, but she knew she was fooling nobody. Everyone knew by now her fake and real face, but she still needed that face, for her own sake. George studied her for a moment, but decided not to say anything. Knowing her for over 15 years, he learned to keep his mouth shut when needed to. Derek stepped forward and shook George's hand, as they exchanged a forced smile. Then, it seemed like all eyes were on them, as everyone realized that they arrived. Izzie ran forward and embraced Meredith, as tears were already streaming down her face. Meredith patted Izzie's back awkwardly as she pulled apart.

"How are you doing?" Izzie asked, as more tears came. Meredith shrugged.

"It's raining." She said bluntly. Izzie let out a small laugh as she hugged Derek.

"It turned out nice didn't it?" He commented, looking around the home.

"Ya, the flowers arrived early this morning. Addie and I came in early to put the finishing touches on." Izzie said, giving the place one last look, before turning to Meredith.

"Mer, they need…they need someone to identify the body before we proceed. We didn't know if you wanted to do it or not, so we didn't." Izzie said softly. Meredith nodded, as the tears finally came to her eyes. This was it. Emily was dead and they were laying her to rest. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and past everyone as they watched her enter the main building. As Meredith entered the building, she saw that Christina was already sitting in the back and she turned around when she heard Meredith's footsteps enter the church. Standing up she confronted Meredith for the first time that day.

"Hey." She said, standing there awkwardly.

"Hey." Meredith responded, trying to avoid Christian's gaze. "They need someone to identify the body and so Izzie thought I should do it. So I'm off. To go see my…sister for the last time."

Christina nodded.

"I know. Do you want me to come with you?"

Meredith took a deep breath.

"No. I think I need to do this on my own."

"Ok. I'll be in here if you need me."

Meredith cracked a smile as Christina pulled her into a hug, then watched her go. Just as Meredith walked away, Derek entered the church.

"Hi." He said, looking at Christina.

"You should go with her." Christina said, skipping the polite introduction.

Derek nodded.

"I should, but I'm not. I think she wants to say good-bye alone."

Christina nodded as she turned around to see Burke with her kids and theirs. She's cracked a small smile.

"At least some of us are having fun." She commented.

Derek looked back to see his kids climbing on Burke with Christopher tickling him while Amelia was sitting in the corner laughing her head off.

"Ya." Derek said, chuckling a bit, before turning back to the church. Right when he turned around, Meredith met his eyes. She was standing infront of the door that led to the side room. He gave her a reassuring smile that urged her to go on. Nodding, she took a deep breath and turned the doorknob to the side room.

Her first impression was that it was small. It looked only big enough for about 4 people, but there stood Emily's casket and the priest in his priest uniform and holding his bible. Hearing the door open, he watched as Meredith walked in.

"Ah, Dr. Grey?"

"Shepherd actually." She answered, not taking her eyes off the casket.

"My apologizes Dr. Shepherd. I'm glad that you made it."

Her eyes shot up to look directly at the priest.

"What do you mean by that? Why wouldn't I come to my own sister's funeral? Just because I haven't seen her in 5 years doesn't I mean I don't love her! She died right under my nose and I didn't even get to say good-bye. My husband had to try to restart her heart numerous times! How dare you-"

"Dr. Shepherd, please calm down. I only meant, I'm glad that you came in to verify that this is indeed your sister. I had no doubts that you would come to the funeral. It's just that, some family members' can't stand to see their loved ones like this. Dr. Karev and Dr. Sloan told me to wait for you, because they wanted you to do it. I didn't mean to offend you at all." He said, calmly.

Meredith nodded, not saying a word. It wasn't that she was mad at him, Izzie, or Addison. It was just a lot to take in, in one day. Before she knew it, the priest was already opening the front half of the casket.

"Dr. Shepherd."

Meredith took a deep breath and stepped forward. Emily was lying in the red velvet casket, looking peacefully asleep. She was dressed in a lavender dress that complimented her hair nicely. It was the first time that Meredith had seen her since the day that she died. She looked different without all the machines hooked up to her, but she also looked pale. Tears began to well up in Meredith's eyes as she took a hard look at Emily.

"Ya-Yes that's her. That's Emily."

The priest nodded, and smiled.

"Thank you Dr. Shepherd."

He began to closet he casket, but Meredith stopped him.

"Can…Do you mind if I say goodbye to her…alone?" She asked tentatively.

"Not at all. I'll be outside when you're done."

The priest walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. Now it was only Meredith and Emily. Standing there for a couple of minutes, Meredith walked back around to the front of the casket, so she could look at Emily again.

"Hey sis." She said softly, as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her sister's ear.

"I can't believe that you're doing this. Leaving us here. Not that I blame you or anything. I know, since Rob and the kids died in that car accident, that life must have been tough. And then here you were with leukemia. I just wish you had told me sooner.

I wish that we could have talked more, and I would have gotten to see my niece and nephew. I hear that your job was going great. On your way to being the top pediatric surgeon in the country. It must be a 'Grey' thing huh?

I hate to see you like this. Pale and lifeless. I wish you didn't have to go so soon. I have so many things to share with you. You're soon to be niece or nephew is kicking like mad lately. We don't know the sex yet. I want it to be a surprise, but Derek is starting to crack under pressure. What's with it and men and surprises?

We're leaving this Saturday to Lake . Everyone thinks that I need a vacation because of my stress level. I don't know what they're talking about.

Em, I missed you so much while you were gone. Now, There's no more Grey doctor's left except me. I wish we had a little while longer. I know you could have fought the cancer, if you would have just got the marrow sooner. I'm sorry I didn't get tested. I know you understand with the baby and all, it's just, I wish I could of contributed somehow. Not, that I want to kill my baby…well you know what I mean by all of this.

Well, I guess this is goodbye. I'm going to miss you Em. You were the best little sister anyone could have asked for." By this time, tears were streaming down Meredith's face as she bent down and kissed Emily's cheek. She then stood up, tried to straighten her self out and looked at Emily one last time.

"Good bye Emily." She whispered, as she closed the coffin on her sister. Closing her eyes, she let the tears run down her cheeks, as she turned and headed for the door. When she opened it, she saw Derek sitting on the last pew, waiting for her. Once the door opened, he leapt to his feet and embraced Meredith, as she began to cry on his shoulder. He rubbed her back, as the proceeded to the other side of the church as the priest went back into the room, getting ready for the ceremony to begin. Everyone was already seated, when Meredith walked out. Christina and Burke were sitting right behind where Meredith and Derek were going to sit. Izzie and Alex were sitting next to them, and Addison, Mark, George, and Callie were behind them. Some of Emily's co-workers had flown in and were sitting on the other side of the church with her friends. Meredith looked up and looked around the church, and her eyes landed on her father.

She broke away from Derek, and started to walk towards him. Seeing, what Meredith was doing, Derek followed her, making sure she wasn't going to start fighting with her dad in the middle of the church. Thatcher stood up, as he realized that Meredith was walking towards him.

"Meredith." He greeted. Meredith nodded her head, as she stood infront of her dad.

"I-I don't want to die knowing that I never gave you a second chance. I know I'm not going to die alone, but I don't want to die without my immediate family there. Since you're the last one of my family, I want to be able to say that I had a pretty good relationship with my dad before I die. I want my kids to know their grandpa, even though they never knew their grandma. I-I want you back in my life again." Meredith whispered. Thatcher and Derek stood there, looking at Meredith. Then, Thatcher embraced Meredith into a big bear hug as she began to cry. After the broke apart, Meredith grabbed Thatcher's hand as she led him to the front pew where they were going to sit. Smiling, he sat down next to her, still holding her hand, as the waited for the ceremony to begin.

-----

Rain was still falling as the Shepherd family climbed into Derek's Mercedes. Meredith wiped away the last of her tears as she buckled her seat belt. For once the kids weren't fighting, knowing that this was a big deal for their mom. Derek looked over at her and grabbed her hand, giving it a small squeeze. She gave him a weak smile as he pulled out of the cemetery's parking lot and started to go home. Meredith looked out her window and into the side mirrors to see that Burke and Christina were right behind them. She let out a small laugh seeing that Christina was yelling at Burke, holding up her pager. Derek snuck a quick look at Meredith, smiling out of the corner of his eye. He didn't know what it was, but seeing Meredith smile, it was like she was glowing. She was his pregnant glowing wife who was at the moment struggling to get through life, but she was doing a great job as a surgeon, mother, friend, and wife. Meredith turned back to their car, and turned around to see Derek looking at her.

"What?" she asked, her smile fading.

"N-Nothing." Derek said quickly, looking back to the road. Meredith could hear the kids snickering in the background, as she rolled her eyes and focused back on the road in front of her. After a few minutes, Meredith realized that this was not the route home.

"Derek, where are we going?" she asked, curious but a little annoyed. After the day's events, she just wanted to get in a nice hot bath and just forget about reality, at least until the baby started to kick again.

"You'll see," he said, smirking as he reached over and grabbed her hand. Meredith eyed Derek as she reluctantly let him hold her hand.

"Derek, tell me where we're going," Meredith demanded, but still Derek didn't budge.

"You'll see." He said again, starting to laugh. Meredith jerked her hand away from his and folded her arms into a pout position. This made Derek laugh even more.  
C'mon, Mer. Let this be surprise," he begged, seeing that his game was starting to bug her.

"Derek, I've had enough surprises to last me a lifetime in the past couple of weeks. I really don't feel like more. So just please tell me where the hell we are going."

Derek sighed, seeing Meredith's logic.

"I'm taking us out to your favorite restaurant to have dinner. I know how much you've been through, and the baby isn't helping, so I thought we'd go out as a family before you and me leave this weekend."

Meredith turned towards Derek and gave him a small smile. The one thing she wanted to do more than anything in the world right that moment was to grab Derek and pull him into a kiss. But seeing that he was driving and traffic was starting to build up, she decided to wait for later that night when the kids were in bed and then her beast would be tamed. Derek looked out of the corner of his eye again and saw Meredith smiling her special smile. Derek returned his eyes to the road, knowing what was going to happen later that night. The kids watched their parent's exchange glances and exchanged a few of their own. The car fell silent as Derek started to concentrate on the traffic, and Meredith was trying to get back into reality.

"So umm, mom. We're going to be staying with Uncle Burke and Aunt Crissy this weekend?" asked Audrey trying to start up a conversation.

"Ya. You guys are always complaining, behind our backs might I add which I don't appreciate because we do hear it, about how you don't get to spend time with Aunt Cristina and Christopher and Amelia. So, this would be the perfect time," Meredith responded, giving the kids a quick wink, letting them know that the sneaking behind the back was something she knew about.

"So, Jacc, how's the team looking?" Derek asked, trying to change the subject.

"Horrible. Half of them can't kick the freakin ball. It's like they don't know their foot from their ass."

"JACCOB FREDRICK SHEPHERD! YOU WILL NOT USE THAT KIND OF LANGUAGE!" Meredith shouted. This scared Derek, Audrey, and Jaccob. After a few minutes of a dead silence, Jaccob ventured to speak.  
"Yes, ma'am." Jaccob whispered, still scared.

"That's more like it. Now, you're captain correct?"

"Y-Yes."

"Ok, well it's like being Chief of Surgery. If a resident or intern is falling out of line, it's the Chief's duty to tell either the attending to whip them into shape, or he has to do it himself. You get it?"

"So, I need to yell at them?"

Meredith laughed.

"No. You need to either let the coach know that they're hurting the team, or let them know yourself, but nicely. Don't yell at them. Don't be like your father."

"HEY!"

Derek pulled into the restaurant's parking lot and parked quickly.

"I do not yell at the resident's or interns. Last time I checked, it was _I_ who walked in on _you_ who was yelling at a resident because he put a chart in the wrong place." Derek said, trying to defend himself. Meredith smiled.

"Yes, but I'm pregnant. My hormones can go off at any minute. I asked Miller to put the chart in a specific place so I could find it after my surgery, and he didn't. But it was _I_ who walked in on _you_ yelling at an intern last week. What was that about again honey?"

"He just walked away from a patient and-"

"Hey…HEY!" yelled Audrey.

Both Meredith and Derek ceased fighting to look at their daughter.

"Ok, we know you're both like top surgeons and all, and you have the ability to yell at people. But, can we for once just go in and eat like a normal, non sleep-deprived family?"

Meredith and Derek exchanged looks.

"Fine."

"Fine."  
"Ok. Now let's go eat because I'm starving."

Both Audrey and Jaccob got out of the car and ran towards the restaurant, trying to avoid getting wet, leaving Derek and Meredith in the car alone.

"I can't believe we just got yelled at by a 10 year old." Meredith said, chuckling.

"She gets that from you." Derek said matter-of-factly as he unfastened his seat belt.

"Hey!" Meredith said, play hitting Derek. For a moment, Derek contemplated whether to throw something else at Meredith, but instead he dove into a fierce kiss.

She responded by moving her hands up to his hair, entangling her fingers in his curls. He also moved for her hair, running his fingers through it. As the kiss intensified, his hands moved down her back and underneath her shirt. His lips traveled from her lips to her ear, as he began to nibble on it. She groaned his name, as her fingers got more and more tangled in his hair. After a few minutes, Meredith pulled away.

"They're-waiting-for-us." She panted, trying to straighten her hair.

"Ya," he whispered, still looking at her. She noticed him looking and smiled.

"Tonight, Tiger, I promise."

Derek nodded, as he got out and came over to Meredith's side of the car to help her out. As they walked up to the door, Derek decided to ask a question that he was itching to ask.

"Mer, why-why did you decide to reform your relationship with your dad?"

Meredith sighed as she pulled open the restaurant door and found her kids waiting impatiently in a corner booth, before turning to Derek, blocking him in the foyer.

"Because, I realized that if Emily could go to him in her time of need ask him for his help, the least I can do is let him back in my life just in case something happens. Now that Emily is dead, he's the only blood family I have. I don't want to die knowing that I never got to repair my relationship with him. At least Emily didn't have that burden on her back, and now I won't either. Plus, our kids need a grandparent, especially with our busy schedule. And now, after many, many, MANY years, I'm willing to give him a second chance."

Derek looked at her for a moment before hugging her.

"I know that must not of been easy for you."  
Feeling Mer's body shake, struggling for breath between sobs, he began to rub her back, trying to calm her.

"I—miss—her—so—much." She sobbed.

"Shhhhh. I know. But look at me."

Meredith lifted her tear-stained face and looked up into Derek's soft and caring eyes.

"We're going to get through this. We've got friends and family to help us through this. We're going to relax this weekend and come back refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to welcome four new babies into the world."  
"Five," Meredith whispered.

"Five. Addison's having twins."

Derek was speechless.

"Wow. Ok…Five babies. But that's beside the point. We're going to have three wonderful children who are going to grow up and live a non-dark-and-twisted life because we're the type of family that gets through things. Now c'mon. Let's enjoy dinner, the kids are waiting."

Meredith smiled as she let Derek wipe away the last of her tears and lead her towards the table. What Meredith didn't know was that Derek was hiding something. He had a secret Meredith would kill him for not telling her, but he knew that this was not the time or place to tell her. He wanted to tell her tomorrow, in the Chief's office with Bailey and Burke there. Maybe even have Burke tell her, but for now he pushed it to the back of his mind as he slid into the booth and looked at his family. Yep, this was his family. Sure they might have some faults, but for now, he was just proud that they had gotten over one of the biggest bumps of their lives, letting Meredith's father back into their lives.

Seeing Derek just sitting there, Meredith scooted over. "What's wrong?"

He had to shake his head to realize that he was daydreaming.

"Nothing, I'm just happy that I have the best family in the world."

Meredith smiled as she went back to the kids, helping them color.

_Ya, I couldn't ask for more, _he thought as he grabbed a crayon and leaned over the table to help Audrey color in the vast blue sky.

**_A/N: YAY FOR INTERNET!!! so i started to write this on saturday, and i just finished. I'm not too happy w/ the amounts of reviews i got last time. Plz guys, let me know if this sucks or not. I only got about 4 more...maybe 5 more chapters. I didn't write the ceremony b/c i've only been to one funeral, my grandma's, and that was when i was in 5th grade. So...i like where i left it. If u guys have any comments on what you liked or didn't like (especially mer and her dad)...plz PLZ let me know. I'll start writing the nxt chapter soon, and it'll be up b4 a week from today. So, hope u liked it. Expect more. AND PLEASE REVIEW!!!! (same thing as last time...5+ gets u a chaper faster...3+ just makes me think about updating)_**


	43. Cupcakes, News, and More Surprises

**_Ch. 43: Cupcakes, News, and More Surprises_**

Burke, Bailey, and Christina were waiting in Burke's office for Meredith and Derek to come in. In his office, Burke sat behind his desk with his hands folded, watching Christina pace back and forth in front of him. He looked away, unable to watch her any longer, and his eyes landed on Bailey, sitting on the couch, arms folded in her usual manner, her eyes watching the door like a hawk.

"They're late." Christina mumbled, looking up at the clock.

"They'll be here." Burke responded patiently. Christina stopped in mid pace and gave him a death glare.

"Yes, but they're _late_. Derek is never late for anything, and Meredith is well…Meredith!"

"Who is pregnant." Burke replied, still very calm. Christina rolled her eyes and began to pace again as the room was quite once again.  
"They were supposed to be here 5 minutes ago." Bailey finally said, after a few minutes.

"SEE! I'm not the only one who's freaked out about this!" Christina exclaimed.

Burke closed his eyes and sighed.

"They'll be here. Derek knows how important this is. Plus, it's the day after the funeral. Let them take some time to get back into they're routine and-"

"Sorry we're late."  
Everyone's head turned to see Derek and Meredith walk into the room.

"You're late." Christina hissed as she sat down next to Bailey. Meredith gave her a glare as she attempted to sit down on the chairs across from the cough.

"I think we've established that." Burke said coolly as he gave a quick glance over to Christina's direction.

"Sorry it was my fault. It's hard to get out of bed and get dressed and do normal things when you're lugging around a baby." Meredith said, trying to add some humor.

"We've done it before, we know." Replied Bailey, as her eyes didn't leave Meredith. Meredith looked up at Derek who gave her a weak smile and grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Yes, but the important thing is that you're here." Burke quickly, giving both Christina and Bailey a look before turning his attention on Meredith and Derek.

"Meredith, I'm sure you're wondering what you're doing here, since you're supposed to be on maternity leave." Burke said as his eyes turned soft, and his voice even came down an octave.

"Well…ya." Meredith said, looking around. As her eyes passed Christina and Bailey, they're faces automatically softened.

"Everyone's starting to creep me out."

Burke sighed and took a deep breath.

"Mer, when Emily died, we found out that there was more to her than just the leukemia." Burke started.

Meredith's eyes went immediately to Derek, as he squeezed her hand.

"Mer, Emily was…" But Burke couldn't finish his sentence. The room went quite again, and Meredith became even more scared.

"Burke, I swear if you don't tell me I'll-"

"She was abused!" Christina blurted out, interrupting Meredith.

The room went dead quite as all eyes were on Christina. Meredith's eyes darted back and forth between Derek and Christina, trying to figure out if this was all a prank that they were all playing on her. After a few minutes, and no one popping out and saying "FOOLED YOU!" Meredith finally spoke.

"Wh-What do you mean…abused?"

Christina attempted to say something, but was jabbed in the ribs by Bailey. Christina gave her a 'What-the-hell" look, but understood, when she looked at Burke. His head was in his hands, and for the first time, he looked like he was about to cry.

"Meredith…there-there's no easy way to say this…but…her husband…physically, and maybe sexually abused her." He said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. Once again Meredith was speechless. Derek attempted to squeeze her hand again, but she pulled it away from him.

"You're-you're kidding right? I mean…she was the picture of health when she came in. There's no way that she was…"

"Meredith…" Derek spoke, but he was soon cut off.

"No…NO! WHY ARE YOU WAITING TO TELL ME THIS NOW? WHY NOT YESTERDAY OR OR…WHEN SHE DIED? LET ME GUESS! YOU THOUGHT YOU'D PROTECT POOR OLD MEREDITH FROM SOME PAIN WHEN SHE'S PREGNANT! WHAT ELSE ARE YOU HIDING FROM ME? WAIT, LET ME GUESS, HER "HUSBAND" WAS ALSO ABUSING HER TWO CHILDERN? THEY REALLY DIDN'T DIE IN A CAR ACCIDENT?"

The room remained quiet, as Meredith's voice continued to echo after she stopped yelling. After a few minutes, of receiving no answer from her last question, she started bellowing again.

"OH YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO TELL ME?"

Finally, Derek got up the nerve to speak up.

"Meredith, if you just calm down maybe we can-"

"You know what, no! I've heard enough."

Meredith turned and headed for the door, but Bailey jumped up and put her arms out, refusing to let Meredith leave.

"Let me out." She said sternly.

"Sit down Shepherd." She gritted through her teeth. But Meredith didn't move.

"Let-Me-Out!'" She said, raising her voice.

"Meredith if you just sit down…"

"NO DEREK I WLL NOT SIT DOWN!" She shouted again, before turning her attention to Bailey for the last time. "Miranda, if you don't let me out of this room this minute-"

"Let her out Miranda." Burke said quietly.

Everyone's head turned towards Burke surprised by what he said.

"Excuse me?" Bailey questioned, raising one eyebrow.

"Let her out. Christina, drive her home."

Meredith crossed her arms, and glared at Burke.

"What makes you think that I want to go home? And besides, I can drive myself!"

Christina rose from her seat and headed towards the door, trying to drag Meredith with her. After a few minutes of tugging, Meredith gave in, but not quietly. She slammed the door behind her and stopped her way down the hallway. Everyone in the hospital stared at the two of them, as the entered the unoccupied elevator. After a few minutes of the listening to the elevator move, Christina attempted to speak.

"Meredith-"

"Don't talk. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not talking to you. You will drive me to Izzie's hose then come back here where you will continue to share secrets behind my back." She said coolly.

"Meredith…"

But before Cristina could continue, the elevator doors opened, and Meredith stepped out, heading for the front door as quickly as she could. Christina sighed as she attempted to catch up with her friend, hoping that she wasn't going to stay mad for long.

----

Izzie was in her kitchen backing cupcakes (for no apparent reason) with Addison and Callie sitting at the island, licking spoons, and eating the "bad' cupcakes.

"Honestly Izzie, these are…oooooooooooh…good." Addison said, with her mouth full of cupcake, with crumbs spilling out of her mouth.

"But there is still something…I GOT IT!"

Izzie hurried to the cupboard and pulled out the coconut.

"How could I be so stupid?" She muttered as she started to whip up a new batch. At the exact moment, the doorbell rang. Being, too absorbed in her cooking, Callie got up from the chair and wobbled over to the door, answering it instead of Izzie.

"Shep-Meredith?"

To say Callie was surprised was a bit of an understatement. She knew that Meredith had gone to talk with Burke (why she didn't know), then she thought she was going home to relax and pack. She was even more surprised to see Christina standing behind her.

"She made me take her here." Christina explained, as Callie stepped aside, letting the two women in.

"HEY ADDIE! PULL UP 2 MORE STOOLS!" Callie called, as she led them to the kitchen.

"Oh, I'm not staying, I was just instructed to drive her here and then leave…"

"Now." Meredith hissed.

Callie furrowed her eyebrows, obviously confused. Christina gave her a 'you-don't-want-to-know' look, as she grabbed a cupcake, and left. After the door shut, Callie turned her attention to Meredith, who was sitting on the stool, ripping off the tissue surrounding the cupcake.

"Ummm Mer, I know that your angry, but will killing the awesome cupcake really solve things?" Asked Addison, as she watched the cupcake get pulverized. Izzie turned around to see her cupcake be smashed into hundreds of crumbs.

"Whoa, whoa WHOA! Meredith, what happened to you?"

Meredith looked up to see everyone was looking at her.

"What?" Meredith asked defensively.

Izzie turned back to the oven, scared to look Meredith in the eyes, and hoping that her cupcakes weren't burned.

"Ok, Mer…let the cupcake live, and tell us what's wrong." Addison said, trying to pull the cupcake away from Meredith.

"Did you know that Emily was abused. Abused by her so-called husband. Oh and did you know that her kids died because they were also abused by their 'dad'. Ya, all of this crucial information was kept from me, HER DAMN SISTER, from the people who I thought were my family. Oh, and one of those people, is my freakin husband." Meredith exclaimed, grabbing another cupcake. This time, no one stopped her as she began to bang it again.

"Oook, umm Mer, listen to me. I know that you're mad. I would be too. I mean, why they would keep this from you, I don't know. But, here's what you do. You leave tomorrow for your vacation. Just…I don't know. Let it go maybe till you get back? This stress isn't good for the baby. When you get back you can yell all you want." Addison said, trying to sooth Meredith. Meredith looked up and stared at her.

"Let it go? Addison, my sister was abused! Why wasn't this brought to my attention? Why they didn't take her for a CT I don't know? I mean, that would be the first thing right? There should be evidence that she was abused shouldn't there? Addison, she could have been…saved maybe, but I don't know. Just…"

By this time, Meredith started to calm down, and tears were starting to form.

"Oh Mer." This time, Callie came and embraced Meredith as she cried into her shoulder. Not sure what to do, she began to rub circles in her back. After a few minutes, the tears had subsided to sniffles as she lifted her head from Callie's soaking wet shirt.

"I'm sorry." She muttered, wiping away the last of the tears.

"No, no it's ok. I'll just…have it dry cleaned." She said quietly trying to dry the shirt as best as she could. After a few unsuccessful attempts, she gave up, deciding that it wasn't worth it.

"Mer, her husband died what 2 months before she was admitted. If there was evidence, it would of healed by now. If she didn't disclose the information about being abused, there's no way they could of known. A CT isn't routine for a leukemia patent, and you know that." Addison said, softly, rubbing Meredith's back, as Callie tended to her shirt.

"Maybe your right." Meredith said after a few minutes. Everyone looked at her, wondering what she was talking about.

"Right about what? Taking time off? Or them not doing the CT" Izzie asked, turning around with a tin of cupcakes in her hands.

"About, letting it go. Maybe I over reacted."

Izzie set down the tin and wiped her hands.

"Meredith, you had every right to react the way you did. They had no right to keep that from you. If I were you, I'd go on the trip, but not let Derek have as much fun as he wants."

Meredith stopped in mid chew of the cupcake that she was about to eat.

"What do you mean not letting him have as much fun as he wants?" She said, confused.

Izzie just smiled, and took a bite of her cupcake. Meredith looked around to see Addison and Callie, both just as confused as Meredith was.

"IZZ! TELL ME!" She shouted, but with a smile.

Izzie just winked as she bit into another cupcake, laughing as her plan continued to formulate in her mind, leaving Meredith hurt by the lack of information, and very confused.

-----

By the time Christina got back to Burke's office, Bailey was already gone but Derek was still sitting in his chair with his head in his hands. Burke had his back to the room, as he looked out to the hospital below him.

"Where's Bailey?" she asked, looking away from Derek.

"She had a surgery." Burke said, still not turning around.

Christina sighed as she made her way to the couch and flopped down.

"Well, she's obviously pissed, but I dropped her off at Izzie's. Addison, Callie, and her will hopefully calm Mer down." She reported, rubbing her temples.

An uncomfortable silence followed this thought. Everyone knew Meredith was not always the easiest person to calm so they were all hoping Izzie, Callie, and Addie could do it.

No one wanted to be the one to break that silence. What could they say? They all knew they'd handled the situation badly, but what other choice did they have?

Finally, Derek dared to break the silence.

"Why did we keep this from her?" Derek asked from behind his hands. Christina looked up and gave him a glare.

"Derek, we had no choice." Burke said as calmly as possible, with his back still turned. Derek lifted his head from his hands. His perfect hair was all askew, and his eyes were puffy.

"What do you mean we had no choice? We could have told her the day after Emily died. Sure she would have been furious, but keeping this kind of news from her for this long is just…unethical."

The room went quiet. After a few minutes, Christina stood up and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Burke asked, finally turning around his chair. From a quick glance, he looked fine, but if you got closer, you could see his eyes were unemotional and his body was tense. Christina turned and looked into Burke's eyes.

"I'm not going to just sit here and mope around about the decision you made. There's something I have to do. What-I don't know. I'll find a surgery to do. Or an intern to terrorize, but I'm not going to sit here and mope around." She said coolly, as she wrenched open the door, and let is slam behind her. Derek looked from the door to Burke then sighed.

"I better go too. Pick her up from Izzie's, if she'll let me, and then-"

The shrill ring of Derek's phone cut him off. Pulling it out, his body froze as he looked at the caller ID.

"Who is it?" Burke asked, though he already knew who it was. Derek stayed frozen for a couple more seconds, before getting up the nerve to flip open his phone.

"Hello?" he answered hoarsely.

"Hey." Came Meredith's voice on the other line.

For a second, Derek was at a loss for words. He wasn't sure what to say. Was she still mad? Of course she was, she wasn't one to forget things that easily.

"Derek? Hello?"

"S-Sorry. I'm here." He said, but his voice was barely above a whisper.

"Ok good."

Derek tried to read Meredith over the phone, but it was kinda hard since he couldn't see her face. Once again, the line went silent.

"Derek?"

"Sorry. It's just…you just left so abruptly and with so much anger. NOT that I blame you or anything. If I were you I'd be-"

"Derek, you're starting to ramble." Meredith laughed.

Hearing her laugh, made Derek crack a smile.

"So, what's up?" He said, trying to loosen up.

"I need you to come and pick me up. Seeing we're all pregnant, and Addie doesn't advise me to drive, I need a ride home. Plus, we still have to pack, help the kids pack, and get them over to Burke's because of the early flight."

Derek sighed, but with a smile one his face.

"Ok I'll be by in a couple of minutes."

"Ok, thanks hon."

"No problem. Oh and Mer?"

"Yes?"  
"Thanks for not…you know…holding a grudge over this."

"Anything for you dear."

Derek smiled and hung up the phone.

"I gotta go. I'll be by your house in about 3 hours."

Burke nodded, as Derek headed for the door.

"So Derek, everything's ok?" Burke asked, before Derek could leave. Derek smiled.

"Everything's just fine." He said, before giving Burke a quick wink and leaving the office.

But little did Derek know, Meredith was sitting at Izzie's island, smiling an evil smile with Izzie, Callie, and Addison next to her laughing uncontrollably.

**_A/N: Ok, so i know i told you guys, that i would write friday and saturday, but that sadly, never happened, and i feel AWFUL about it. I meant to get this up monday, but now a week later, it's up. I personally don't lk this chapter. I just don't lk how i wrote it. But, nxt chapter will be mer and derek the lake. Ummm, so not much to say. The Emily thing was Derek's secret fyi. Now, a little surprise. What is Izzie planning? Hmmmmmm you'll have to c. I'll try to write friday, since tomorrow is a grey's nite. I WILL have this done b4 the 27th though. I told myself i would have this done b4 school starts, so yes. 3-4 more chapters left. _**

**_5 reviews a chaper DEFINATLEY on sunday...and a little surprise in ur PM..._**


	44. Is A Vacation Really A Vacation?

**Ch. 44: Is Vacation Really A Vacation?**

**_A/N: Ok, I was wondering how far along everyone was and I'm the author and I had no clue. This Chapter is set in March (everything else as been in Febuary) and Mer and Izzie are 8 months, Addie is 7 and Callie is 5. ENJOY!_**

The shrill ring of the alarm clock woke Meredith up at a mere 3 a.m. on Saturday morning. Groaning, she turned over, took one look at the time and slammed her hand on the snooze button. It was way too early for her to be up; and she was used to early wake-up calls and all-nighters. But having a baby who took half your energy made it difficult. A loud snore from Derek's side of the bed told her that he was still sleeping like a baby. Trying to close her eyes and get at least 10 more minutes asleep, was shut down when her baby gave a hard kick that immediately woke Meredith up, along with the alarm clock going off again. Mentally cursing her self and Derek for booking an early flight, she rolled over and attempted to get out of bed. Just topping 8 months, doing normal things was getting harder and harder for her to do. Finally getting out of bed, Meredith waddled to the shower and turned on the water. Stepping into the shower, Meredith's body cringed, then relaxed as the hot water ran down her back. After a few short minutes of alone time, Derek jumped in and joined her.

"Look who finally decided to wake up." Meredith commented as she reached over him and took the shampoo.

"Well, with all the noise you were making, it's kinda hard to sleep." He joked, taking the shampoo away from her and started to massage it into his own scalp. Meredith stuck her tongue out at him as she continued to condition her hair. As Derek reached for the conditioner, his hand brushed her breast. Meredith gave him a skeptical look as he smiled. Sighing, she decided that a little sex in the morning couldn't hurt. After moving close to him, he smiled as he began to kiss the crevice of her neck. She moaned out his name, as his hands began to roam her body. Her hands began to tangle up in his hair as he began to do his special "morning sex moves." Right before he entered her, Meredith pulled away. After a few seconds of recovering back to normal state, Derek stared at her.

"What was that for?" He asked. Meredith just shrugged as she headed for the shower door.

"You kept a major secret from me; I'm not about to forget that. So now, I'm keeping sex from you until the baby is born. No sex for one month." She said "matter-of-factly". Derek's face fell.

"Mer…" He began but he was shortly cut off.

"Sorry Derek, but your choice comes with consequences. No sex. Now, we're going to enjoy this weekend just the 3 of us. You know, enjoy the scenery and relax, WITHOUT SEX."

Derek sighed.

"Fine, but knowing you and your hormones, you're going to be begging me to do it tonight."

Meredith rolled her eyes.

"I do have some self control you know." She said, as she exited the shower.

"Uh huh, sure." Derek replied as he turned off the shower.

"What? You don't think I can do it?" Meredith asked as she wrapped the towel around her body and headed for her closet, looking for one of her maternity dresses.

"To be honest with you, no I don't." Derek said, drying his hair.

Meredith came out of the closet, with the towel wrapped around her head and a black maternity dress in place of the towel on her body.

"We've been married for about 10 years now Derek. We've been through stretches without sex." She said, trying to defend herself. Now it was Derek's turn to laugh.  
"Yes, but you've never gone a month." He called, as he entered the closet himself, and emerged a few minutes later in one of his Polo shirts and jeans.

Meredith huffed as she put on her make-up and dried her hair.

"I can so go a month without sex. It's you I'm worried about." She said, as she reached for her toothbrush. Derek smiled as he began to style his own hair. Meredith rolled her eyes as she finished her teeth brushing, and packed her toothbrush in her bathroom tote. A few minutes later, both Shepherds were heading down the stairs, Meredith carrying their backpacks, that held both the laptops and medical journals, while Derek tried to balance 3 suitcases ontop of each other.

"Meredith, all I'm saying is that neither of us can go a month without sex." Derek said defeated as he set down the suitcases and accepted the coffee that Meredith brought out.

"Ha, we'll see about that. Now c'mon, we're almost late. We have to be there-"

"2 hours before the plane leaves I know." Derek said mockingly as he picked up the suitcases again and headed out the door. Meredith did one last check of the house before closing and locking the door and headed for the car. After a few more minutes of adjusting, they were on their way to Seattle's airport.

"So I guess our sex discussion is over?" Meredith asked, provoking Derek as he entered the highway. Derek let out a small laugh.

"All I'm saying, again, is that one of us is going to crack and we're going to have sex either tonight or tomorrow, or hell maybe even on the plane."

This got Derek a slap on the arm as he tired to exit the highway.

"WHAT? It's true."

"Derek Shepherd you are the most….most…"

But she was at a loss for words, too mad that he was stating the obvious. She knew that they couldn't go a month without sex, but that didn't mean that she couldn't try right?

After parking in the long-term parking lot, Derek turned off the car and faced Meredith.

"C'mon Mer, you know I'm right. And besides, let's just try to enjoy this vacation. We only got 1 more month till the baby. You know I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't love you."

Meredith laughed as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I never said I didn't love you. I just said I didn't want to have sex with you." She said simply, as she rolled out of the car, just as Airport Security came over and helped them with their bags. Acknowledging his defeat, Derek shrugged his shoulders, as he followed his very pregnant wife and the guy with their bags, hoping that this sex-restriction wasn't going to last very long.

------

Christina entered the scrub room just shortly after 3 a.m. dead tired. She had just finished a grueling 12-hour surgery to remove an abscess that was blocking her patient's airway. Unfortunately, the abscess was so large, it was crushing the nerves in her abdomen also. Christina sighed as she turned on the water, but was too tired to scrub down. Lucky for her, Dr. Mitchell, the neurosurgeon on call, walked into the room all-cherry and happy.

"Wonderful surgery Dr. Yang. Looks like she'll make a full recovery."

Christina opened one eye and grunted her reply. Mitchell gave her a weird look as he continued to scrub down.

"Aren't you going to…you know? Scrub out?" Mitchell asked, still giving her a weird look. Christina grunted again as Mitchell dried his hands and opened the scrub door, only to be welcomed to Burke.

"Chief. What are you still doing here?"

"I couldn't pass up an opportunity to watch a surgery like that. Great work Mitchell."

Mitchell smiled proudly as he exited the room and walked down the hall. Turning to face Christina, Burke smiled as he watched his wife fall asleep over the sink.

"I-am-so-damn-tired." Christina muttered, as Burke put his arms around her.

"Shhhhh I know. I know. But that was a great surgery."

All Burke got as a response was a soft snore. Burke laughed as he took off Christina's surgery gown and scrubbed her out. He took her in his arms and carried her out of the scrub room. Normally, we would just wake her up, but it was a long and hard surgery, and the patient did crash twice. Kicking open his office door, he set her down gently on the couch and pulled the blanket over her. Christina cuddled on the couch, emitting another snore. Burke cracked a smile as he headed for the door. Getting one last look of Christina, he closed the door. Sighing under his own exhausting, Burke headed down to an on-call room where the kids were. Walking into the room, he smiled when he saw his kids on one side of the room ,and Meredith and Derek's kids on the other. He walked over to Amelia and Christopher pulling the blanket over their shivering bodies. After kissing them each on top of the head, he turned to his "other" kids. After seeing that they were sleeping just fine, he climbed up on the top bunk and snuggled under his own blanket. He knew that he should be with Christina, but there was no room in his office to sleep, and he knew that she would kill him if she found out that she fell asleep in the scrub room. Smiling, he fell asleep instantly, knowing that he was only guaranteed a few decent hours asleep before someone or something woke him up.

----

"Mer. Meredith. Honey?" Derek tried to gently shake Meredith awake from her deep sleep. Meredith groaned as she opened one eye to see Derek hovering over her.

"Derek, there's this thing called personal space." Meredith muttered as she tired to awake from her uncomfortable position. Derek smiled as he settled back into his own seat and prepared for the decent.

"Are we about to land?" Meredith asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Ya. The attendant just came by and told me to wake you and prepare to land."

Meredith nodded as she tired to adjust herself in the small airplane seats.

"I swear, I'm calling up American Airlines when we get home and filing a complaint. How the hell is a pregnant woman supposed to sit in these things?" Meredith grumbled. Derek laughed, as he began to gather up their carry-on items. As he laid them in his lap, a soft buzzing noise was emitted from the bottom of the backpack. Meredith turned to him and gave him a very annoyed look.

"Please don't tell me that's your pager." She gritted through her teeth.

Derek smiled sheepishly, trying to cover up the noise.

"Derek Gavin Shepherd." Meredith said closing her eyes, trying to keep her blood pressure down.

"Now Meredith, you never know if-"

"DEREK! WE'RE GOING ON VACATION! WE'RE ABOUT WHAT AN HOUR FROM SEATTLE? HOW CAN EVEN THINK THAT IF THERE WAS A REAL EMERGENCY THAT WE'D MAKE IT BACK IN TIME?"

By the time Meredith stopped yelling, everyone on the plane was staring at them. Closing her eyes, Meredith tried to take deep breaths. Derek slid down in his seat, trying to disappear.

"Well, aren't you going to see who it is?" Meredith asked, still mad. Derek sighed as he unzipped the backpack and hunted for the pager.

"Sir, we really need you to put that up. We're about to land." The flight attendant said, trying to hide her laughter. Derek nodded, as he pulled out the pager. The attendant smiled as she turned and headed back up to the front of the plane.

"Well?" Meredith said after a few seconds as she calmed down.

"It's just telling me that my battery is about to die." Derek muttered, throwing the pager back into the backpack. Meredith nodded as she held onto the seat of the plane as it started towards the runway.

"I really hate you right now." Meredith said, as her knuckles turned white from gripping the arm rests so hard. Derek didn't say anything, knowing it was best not to speak at that moment.

Finally the plane had landed, and Meredith and Derek were outside of the Airport, bags and all, waiting for a taxi.

"Couldn't you just of rented a car?" Hissed Meredith, one hand on her stomach, the other one on her hip.

"Are you going to be like this the whole trip?" Derek asked, teasingly. But this earned him a slap on the arm.

"OW! What the hell was that for?" He asked, alarmed as he rubbed his shoulder.

"For being an ass." Meredith muttered, as the taxi pulled up.

"Someone's cranky since she hasn't gotten any sex." Derek grunted, as he hoisted the suitcases into the trunk. This, consequently, earned him another slap.

"MEREDITHI!" Derek cried.

"Don't mess with me." She hissed as she slid into the seat. Derek rolled his eyes, knowing not to go any farther unless he wanted some serious nerve damage to his arm, slid in next to her.

"Where to sir?" The taxi cab driver asked in very bad English.

"Kachess Lake. The suite cabin." Derek mumbled as he handed the driver a hundred dollar bill.

"Yessir."

The ride up to the lake was only about 20 minutes, but it seemed like an hour. Neither Meredith nor Derek said a word. Meredith was too mad at him to say anything, and Derek was too scared to say a word. Finally, the driver pulled up infront of a wood cabin that surrounded by big fir trees.

"Finally." Meredith sighed as she got out of the car. Derek heard a small gasp, and smiled. He knew that she had just saw the scenery. Getting out, he saw Meredith facing the lake, as a tear came to her eye. Derek walked over and put his arms around her waist as she leaned back into him.

"It's so beautiful." She whispered, not taking her eyes off the vast lake.

"Just like you." Derek responded as he kissed the top of her forehead.

"You're still not getting any sex." Meredith said, laughing.

"Shhhhh, don't ruin the moment." Derek said, laughing himself.

"Uh sir? Where do I put these….bags?" Asked the driver, very confused. Sighing he broke away from Meredith and walked over to the driver, picking up one of the bags. Meredith, walked over to the cabin door. The key was lying on the windowsill; easy access for her. Putting the key in the lock, and turning it, she let out another small gasp. It was like walking into fantasyland. A big kitchen that was connected to the living that had no TV; just a fireplace and a couch. There was a small hallway that ventured off to the half-bathroom and the master bedroom. Walking down to the bedroom, another gasp was let out. A king size bed centered the room with an amazing view to the lake. The sun shined through the window and cast a shadow through the window and onto the floor. The master bedroom had a Jacuzzi tub and a sink for two. Turning around, she saw Derek standing at the door.

"You like?" He asked, laughing.

"I LOVE!" She squealed as she landed on the bed.

Derek laughed as he crawled over to her and started to kiss her. But she pushed him away.

"NO SEX!" She said firmly.

"Fine." He said pouting. They both laid there in silence.

"Thank you." She whispered. Derek looked over at her.

"For what?"

"F or making me your wife. For giving me 2 kids and one on the way. And for giving me this wonderful vacation."

Derek smiled.

"Anything for you."

Meredith smiled.

"I love you Derek Shepherd."

"And I love you Meredith Shepherd."

After a few minuets, they were holding onto each other, sound asleep, as the sun shone on both of them, giving them warmth and security.

---

Izzie woke up with a searing pain in her abdomen.

"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" She screamed. This made Alex jump up from the bed and go into attack mode.

"WHAT WHAT? What is it?" He said alarmed. Then he saw Izzie scrunched up in the bed, holding onto the comforter until her knuckles turned white.

"Izz? Izzie? Are you-"

But he was shortly cut off by another scream from Izzie. After a few minutes, the pain subsided.

"Izzie?" He ventured again.

"SHUT UP!" She yelled. Alex nodded, trying to do what he told her to do. After a few minutes of her breathing she spoke again.

"Page Addison." She whispered, opening her eyes. Alex nodded as he walked over to the phone and started to dial her number.

"What do I tell her?" He asked as he heard the phone ring on the other end. Izzie's face scrunched up again as another pain came.

"Tell-her-that-OWWWWW-I-think-I'm-in-pre-term-labor."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**_A/N: I really wanted some1 in preterm labor, so yes Izzie. It was going to be Addison but w/e. Ummm, i like this chapter personally. I'M SOOOO SORRY IT'S A DAY LATE!!! W/ Fanfic down, and then my internet was down and i had minor writer's block. But hey it's up! Thank u for the 5 of u who reviewed last time. Let me know if the pic showed. ONLY 4 MORE CHAPTERS PLUS AN EPILOUGE!!!!!!!_**

**_5 more reviews gets u a chapter on...let's say...Thrusday or Friday. I"m getting my wisdom teeth pulled on Wednesday, so i'll have time to write. Again, if u review, u will get a surprise! (if the pic showed up last time...which i hope it did!!!!) :D_**


	45. We'll Get Through This, No Matter What

**_Ch. 45: We'll Get Through This, No Matter What_**

Meredith woke up with the sun still shining through the window and Derek cuddled up next to her. Looking at the time, she saw that it was 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Yawning, she detached Derek from her body and quietly got out of bed, stretching , once her feet hit the wooden floor. Walking over to the window, she stared at the lake for a while, just trying to relax. She could never get this view in Seattle, and she wanted to try to savor as much of it as possible. Turning back around, she saw that a pillow had taken her place in Derek's arms. Laughing, she snuck out of the room and into the kitchen as she began to dig through the cupboards for any trace of food. Derek told her not to pack any food and with all the airport security, it was best not to. Now, they were countless miles from a grocery store, and Meredith was having one of her pregnancy cravings. Opening the first door, she saw that it was filled with crackers of every brand and flavor. Frowning in disgust, she closed the door and opened the next one. This one was not filled with crackers, but with every kind of cereal imaginable. Again, Meredith was less than happy with her findings, as was starting to get cranky. Finally, after rifling through cupboards, and frowning at all the health food, she finally found what she was looking for. Chocolate.

"Jackpot." She whispered as she pulled out every package that was hidden on the shelf. From M&M's to Snickers to Dove chocolate to Godiva; Meredith was in heaven. Bringing all of the chocolate to the table, she sat down and dived in. After a few bites, she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Perfection. Now I wonder…."

Once again, Meredith got up, but this time she headed to the fridge. Opening the door, she was welcomed by every fruit and drink known to man.

"Now this is heaven." She said grinning. Moving some grapes and watermelon out of the way she found the strawberries that she was looking for. Getting them out, she carried them to the sink to be washed off. Then she very carefully cut off the stems and put them in a bowl, to be carried to the table with her chocolate. Sitting down once again, Meredith took a bite of strawberry, then a bit of the Dove Chocolate then melted in her seat. This is what she had been searching for, for the past couple of weeks. Chocolate covered strawberries. Meredith was too busy eating, to hear Derek come into the room. He stood there at the kitchen counter, watching her eat and melt in the deliciousness of her snack.

"If you eat all of that now, you're going to spoil your dinner." Derek teased, as she walked over to the table and sat opposite of her reaching for a Dove chocolate. Meredith stopped in mid-bite and gave him a quizzical look.

"What do you mean?" She asked, putting down the strawberry. Derek just shrugged, as he popped another chocolate candy in his mouth. Meredith leaned back in her chair and folded her arms.  
"Derek Shepherd, you're already going without sex you don't want to push it." Meredith teased, trying to keep a straight face. "And besides, we're in the middle of nowhere. Where are we supposed to get dinner?"

Once again Derek just shrugged, as he continued to eat the chocolate. Meredith eyed him as she got up and started to put away the snack that she was eating. Coming back to put the rest of it away, she snatched the little candy from Derek's hand and threw it in the bag.

"HEY! I was going to eat that!" He exclaimed as Meredith shrugged.

"If I can't eat it, then you can't taunt me with it."

Derek laughed.

"Oh, see that's where you're wrong. I never said that you couldn't eat it…I just said that you're going to ruin your dinner."

Meredith stuck out her tongue as she put the chocolate away and made her way to the couch. Derek laughed as he got up from his seat and walked over to her, sitting as close to her body as possible.

"You really are pushing it." Meredith commented looking at him.

Derek smiled as he kissed her on the forehead. Meredith just rolled her eyes as she leaned back on the couch and looked out through the window.

"How did you ever hear about this place?" Meredith asked a few minutes later, still mesmerized by the view. Derek shrugged.

"I did an operation on the owner's wife and he said that if I ever wanted to come over he'd give me a weekend free."

Meredith laughed.

"The perks of being a surgeon." Meredith said.

"Ya. The life of being a surgeon." Derek said, looking out the window.

Meredith turned to him.

"Are you all right?" She asked in all seriousness.

Derek turned from the window and looked at Meredith. He smiled softly as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"When was the last time I told you that you were beautiful?" He asked, still smiling. Meredith laughed giving him a weird look.

"Uh, I don't know. Yesterday?"

Derek laughed as he embraced her in his arms. Meredith sat there for a second confused then moved more into him, snuggling close. Derek sat there stroking her hair as Meredith listened to his heartbeat. He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips.

"I love you." He whispered. Meredith's eyes softened as she relaxed. They settled back into their position, just holding each other; relaxing and enjoying the carefree vacation that they knew would disappear all in a few days.

---

Christina woke up a few hours later tired and very confused, wondering why she was sleeping in Burke's office and not in an on-call room. Shaking the sleep from her eyes, she threw the blanket off her body to see that she was still in her scrubs. Shaking her head, she walked over to his desk, looking for any sign of why she was there. Looking all over his desk, papers, and computer, she stumbled upon his schedule book. Looking down, she saw that he had a certain surgery that she had preformed last night highlighted. Then it hit her. Looking down at the book one more time, Christina stormed out of the room, heading down for the on-call rooms. A few nurses had to jump out of her way, knowing that she was on a mission, and if they didn't move, she would knock them down. Finally, arriving at "their" on-call room, Christina tried to turn the door handle, but it was locked. Getting madder by the second, she started to bang on the door. After a few seconds, the door opened to a very tired Burke.

"What the hell?" He asked, trying to wake-up.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Christina started to shout, but Burke's hand quickly covered her mouth and she was ushered inside. Once inside, Burke took his hand off her mouth. She was about to start to yell again, when she noticed the empty room.

"Where's the kids?" She asked, folding her arms across her chest, tapping her foot. Burke sat down on the bed and yawned.

"I asked George to take them while we slept. They're at his house right now playing with Jeremy." He answered, still trying to wake-up. Christina nodded as she started to walk around.

"I can't believe you!" She started again. Burke looked up at her.

"What are you talking about?"

"WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT? YOU LET ME FALL ASLEEP IN THE SCRUB ROOM!"

Burke laughed. Christina spun around and gave him an icy stare.

"What? Was I just supposed to leave you there and let some other doctor come in and find you?"

Christina huffed.

"No but…"

"But? There is no but. I don't see why you're so mad. I mean, you did a marvelous surgery, you were tired, and I took you up to my office so you could sleep in peace. End of story."

Christina rolled her eyes as she tired to think of a rebuttal, but nothing came. Burke just smiled as he feel back onto the pillow. Christina sighed as she headed for the door, but turned around before she left.

"I'm still mad at you." She said 'matter-of-factly'. Burke just grunted his acknowledgement as Christina walked out of the on-call room. Some interns and nurses were staring at her, since they could hear her yelling. She gave them an evil glare as the scattered down the hall. Smiling slightly to herself, she headed for the OR board, hoping to find a surgery to distract her from the thought that her person was gone, she was now in charge of 2 sets of kids, and her husband was currently in a semi-coma. Ya, this was going to be a great afternoon.

----

"CHRISTOPHER XAVIER BURKE!"

Audrey's voice rang throughout the O'Malley's household as Jaccob, Amelia, and Jeremy were trying to hid their giggles as Audrey went scouring for her cousin.

"Audrey Ellis Shepherd, what are you yelling about?" asked Callie as she walked into the room. She was only 5 months pregnant, so it was easier for her to move around.

Audrey spun around to see her Aunt standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.

"N-Nothing Aunt Callie. Just playing a game of hide-and-go-seek." Said Audrey sweetly.

"Liar." Coughed Jeremy. Audrey turned around and gave him a death glare that shut up him up quickly.

"All right, but keep it down. Your Uncle George is trying to sleep. He got home late last night and-"

"Yes Aunt Callie." Audrey said in her angelic sort of way. Callie smiled at her niece as she turned and headed back towards the kitchen where she was preparing dinner. Once Callie left, Audrey's face fell once again into a frown as she looked around the playroom for her cousin.

"I swear if you don't give me back my iPod I'll kill you."

"No you won't." Said Christopher, stepping out from behind the toy box, holding her iPod away from her, smiling evilly

"What makes you say that?" Audrey asked, obviously annoyed.

Christopher was about to say something, but then decided against it. Even though she was his Uncle Derek and Aunt Meredith's daughter, she had the sprit of his own mom, and knew better than to test her.

"Ya I thought so. Now give it to me!"

"Chris, just give her the iPod." Said Amelia, rolling forward.

"Why?" Christopher asked, getting annoyed.

"Because, you don't need it. You have one!" Amelia pointed out.

"So? She took my stethoscope and she has one!" Christopher whined.

Amelia rolled her eyes.

"Audrey, give him back his stethoscope."

Audrey sighed as she took the tool out her pocket.

"Fine, but I want my iPod first!"

"NO! If I give you my iPod, then you're going to keep the stethoscope!"

Jaccob and Amelia sighed; knowing this wasn't going to end soon.

"FINE. Audrey you give me the stethoscope and Chris you give me the iPod. I'll give them back to their rightful owners." Said Jeremy stepping up.

Chris sighed and nodded his head in agreement. Jeremy turned to Audrey, waiting for her answer. There was no way that she would say 'no' now seeing that Audrey had a major crush on Jeremy. Audrey sighed in defeat as she handed over the stethoscope. After a few minutes, the switch was made, and everyone was back to playing their game of Trouble that they started before the fight had broken out. After about 20 minutes, of quiet competitive playing, the kids heard Callie and George starting to shout. Jeremy stopped in mid turn, as he strained to hear what his parents were saying.

"What are they saying?" whispered Jaccob, who was also trying to hear.

Jeremy shrugged as he put a finger to his mouth and motioned for them to follow him. Everyone got up and crept towards the door of the playroom. Jeremy opened the door just wide enough for them to hear what the 2 grown-ups were saying.

"But George, you were on-call last night! Do they really need you?" asked Callie.

George sighed as he got on his coat.

"Callie, the page said 9-1-1. How can I ignore that?" he asked. Callie eyed him, knowing that he was hiding something.

"There's something else to it isn't there?" She asked, shoving the ladle in his face.

George turned to her and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"I really gotta go. I'll call you when everything is settled down."

George headed for the door, but Callie was too quick. Even though she was pregnant, she was still light on her feet.

"George O'Malley I'm not letting you leave this house until you tell me what that page said!"

George thought about lying again, but he knew that he had been defeated.

"Fine." He said, walking back towards the kitchen. Callie lowered her ladle as she followed her husband.

"It wasn't a 9-1-1. Well it was, but it didn't say that."

Callie nodded, trying to understand. George took a deep breath before continuing.

"It was from Alex. Izzie's gone into pre-term labor."

Callie dropped her ladle as it came crashing down on the floor.

"A-Are you sure?" she asked. George nodded.

"Well, then I'm coming with you!" she announced, but George shook his head.

"Callie, we've got 5 kids here and you're pregnant; you don't need the extra stress. Let me go and I'll call you if anything happens. If Addison does deliver the baby, I'll let you come down. Otherwise, I want you here." George ordered. Callie nodded, knowing that he was right. He kissed her on the lips again before heading for the door, but he turned around before he left.

"Don't tell the kids." Is all he said as he turned and left. Callie took a moment to collect her self as she turned back to the cooking. Back in the playroom, all the kids exchanged glances, wondering what was going to happen to their Aunt, and what that meant for them.

----

Meredith was standing in her room, getting ready for the surprise dinner that Derek planned for. She had on an elegant maroon maternity dress that complimented her hair and figure well. As she tried to get her hair perfect, Derek entered the room in his kaki slacks and his red good looking shirt.

"Are we ready?" He asked for the millionth time that evening. Meredith turned to him and threw her compact at his head. Luckily he ducked as it smashed against the wall and crumbled to the floor.

"HEY! That could have caused a serious laceration!" Derek exclaimed. Meredith rolled her eyes as she turned back, putting the final touches on her hair.

"Hon, you look beautiful. Now let's go before we're late."

Meredith sighed as she got up and gathered her stuff.

"Happy?" She asked, as she headed towards the door. Derek smiled as he watched his wife leave the room and enter the living room.

"Your limo awaits." Said Derek in a 'butler sort of way" as he opened the front door for Meredith. Meredith laughed as she stepped outside to see a Lexus waiting for them.

"That's not a limo!" She cried, pretending to be mad. Derek laughed from inside, as he gathered his wallet and cell phone. Right was he stepped outside though, one of their pagers went off. Derek heard Meredith sigh, as he gave her an apologetic look and ran back inside. Seeing it was Meredith's pager, he thought it was best not to look at it, in fear that she would get mad. But then, he thought that she might want him to look at it so he could tell her what it was. Either way, he knew that he was going to get yelled at.

"DEREK!" Meredith shouted. Derek sighed as he grabbed the pager off the counter and ran out the door.

"It's yours." He said as he handed the pager to her. She gave him an annoyed look as her eyes lowered to the screen. As she read the page, her eyes began to well up with tears.

"Mer? Meredith? What is it?" Derek asked, confused. Meredith was speechless.

"Meredith?" Meredith shook her head, as she headed back up to the cabin. Derek gave the driver an apologetic look as he followed her.

"Meredith what does the pager say?" Derek asked more sternly. As Meredith turned around, he saw that her body was shaking tremendously and her mascara was starting to run.

"It's Alex. Izzie's gone into pre-term labor."

Derek's face fell as he gathered Meredith in his arms as she started to sob into his shirt.

---

Christina exited the gallery along with all the other doctors and a few nurses. She failed on finding a surgery to scrub in on, and so she settled for watching one. As she headed down the stairs, her pager started to go off. Her hands automatically went to her waistline, unclipping the pager, hoping it was something good. Her face feel as she saw that it was only Burke wanting to meet her in the pit. Hoping it was something good, she made a beeline for the ER, pushing multiple people out of the way. Seeing that the elevator was busy, she decided to take the stairs. Taking them two at a time, she almost knocked down several people but she didn't' care. She hadn't been on anything good since her surgery earlier that morning. Putting on the trauma gown, Christina entered the pit, looking around for Burke. When she spotted him, she started to look around him, looking for some kind of patient covered in blood. When she didn't see one, she walked up to Burke, planning on yelling at him, but he got to it first.

"I know you're mad, but trust me, you need to be here." He said, before she could get a word in. Christina opened her mouth, then closed it, thinking it was better just to do what he said. After a few minutes of just standing there, Christina ventured to say something.

"So…what are you doing exactly?" she asked, starting to get impatient, but Burke just ignored her.

"They should have been here by now." Burke mumbled, checking his cell phone and pager at the same time. Christina rolled her eyes, and looked back to the door in which they were staring at. A few minutes later a car pulled up to the entrance.

"Hey look someone's here." Christina said excitedly as she headed for the door. Burke took a deep breath and followed his wife. When Christina arrived at the car, she was ready for action, but her mood soon changed when she saw Addison getting out of the car, and Izzie in the passenger seat, obviously in pain.

"What the hell?" Christina asked, but no one answered her.

"I NEED A GURNEY!" Yelled Addison, as she helped Izzie out of the car. Christina turned around just as the gurney came rushing past her; then she sprung into action. She helped Addison get Izzie on the gurney, and Addison handed Izzie on oxygen mask.

"Where's Alex and Mark?" Addison asked Burke, as they began to wheel Izzie out of the pit that moment, both men came bursting through the front doors. Alex went automatically to Izzie's side as he grabbed her hand and began to squeeze it. Mark tired to help, but stay out of the way at the same time. When they reached the Trauma Room doors that led to the hospital, Christina pulled Burke's arm, to tell him to stay back. Burke gave her a stern look, but stayed back, hoping they would hold the elevator.

"I demand to know what's going." Christina spat.

Burke sighed.

"She's going into pre term labor. We're going to try to stabilize her, but it not then…"

Burke didn't need to finish his sentence. Christina took a moment for it all to sink it.

"Does…does Meredith know?"

Burke shrugged.

"Probably, but I'm not sure. All I know is that Alex tried to get a hold of everyone. I don't know what's going on with Meredith and Derek right now. I know that Izzie would want them here, but right now you are and they're not. So I need you to go in there and be a good friend and not a doctor."

Christina nodded. Burke smiled as he kissed the top of her forehead and headed towards the elevator. Christina hung back for a second trying to clear her mind, but the moment she saw Izzie in pain on the gurney she sprung into defensive friend mode. Sure they haven't been the best of friends, but they been through a lot together and Christina owed this much to her. Taking one last breath, she ran over to the elevator just as it was about to close. She took a spot right next to Izzie and gave her a smile and a squeeze of the hand. Izzie tried to return the smile, but the pain was just too much.

"Shhh just relax. You're going to be all right." Christina coached. Izzie nodded as the elevator doors opened, as the wheeled her out and headed for a private room. Christina felt a little claustrophobic being surrounded by this many worried people, but it didn't matter. At that moment she used all her strength to concentrate on Izzie and the baby. Nothing else in the world mattered. All she had to do was help her friend get through this, no matter what.

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**_A/N: So my "surgery" went well. NO PAIN! But then again, he only took out the bottom. So anyway, i wrote most of this today b/c "tropical depression erin" came through and ya...i had no where else to go and my parents were at work. So, i'm kinda split with this chapter. I like some aspects, and then I don't like some aspects of it. Your surprise for reviewing last chapter was/is Patrick Depmsey for lunch! (u get to have lunch with him, not eat him lol.) So, I putting a final mark on this story. I'm not going past chapter 50, not counting the epilouge. I like how I showed everyone getting the page in this chapter. NE WAY! THANSK FOR READING!!! I APPRECIATE THE 9 OF YOU WHO REVIEWD LAST TIME!!!! THANKS!!!!_**

**_5 more reviews and you get another fun surprise and I'll post the next chapter on...monday or sunday...it depends lol. THANKS!_**


	46. Just Let It Out

**_Ch. 46: Just Let It Out_**

Izzie leaned back into the stiff hospital pillows as the last contraction had subsided. She swore she wasn't going to have another baby for a very long time or for some strange reason, Alex grew an ovary and was able to give birth. Closing her eyes, she tried to relax before the next searing pain hit her. But the relaxation didn't last long. The IV that was in her arm was starting to annoy her and Alex was hovering over her, thinking that she was going to burst into a million pieces if he didn't watch her every second of every minute of every hour of…well you get the point.

"Alex, if you don't step away from this bed, I will rip out this IV and kick your ass." Izzie threatened. Even though her eyes were closed, she could sense that he took about a half of step back, but his eyes didn't leave her body. Sighing, Izzie opened her eyes to get a sense of who and what was around her. She didn't get a chance to take in the small room when she first arrived, with all her friends/doctors around trying to get the contractions to stop. Now that she was stable, she could see what it was like from a patient's point of view. Since she was a doctor here, she got a private suite-ish room. It was a little bigger than the regular rooms, but it had a grand view of Mt. Rainier and downtown Seattle. Looking back into the room, she saw that it was painted a rosy pink with flowery wallpaper; the same they use in all the other rooms. She could see that the bathroom was a pretty good size, which was good seeing that she was the size of an 18-wheeler. But the one thing that didn't belong was the fact that Alex was still staring at her. Thinking of a way to get him out, even if it was a for a few minutes, didn't take long.

"Alex, could you get me some Ice Chips?" Izzie asked sweetly. Alex jumped up from his seat, ready for his quest.

"Anything for you." He said, kissing her on the forehead before running out of the room. Sighing a sigh of relief, Izzie could finally really relax. Closing her eyes again she tried to clear her mind and do some breathing exercises Addison had taught her and what she had read in some books. Just as she was about to reach the height of relaxation, she could feel another presence in the room. Thinking it was Alex; she opened her eyes into a glare, but immediately softened them when she saw that it was George in the threshold of her room.

"George…" she breathed. She couldn't say anymore. The look on his face made her feel like she was 9 year old who was dying of cancer. Izzie looked away from him, trying to focus on the view. But no matter how much her back was turned to him, she could feel his green eyes drilling into her back. Finally she turned back around to face him.

"George, I'm not dying so if you could stop staring at me like I am, I would appreciate it." Izzie snapped, but immediately regretting it. George made his way to her bedside table, picking up the rag, wetting it, and laying it on her head.

"George…"

"Shhhhh. Just relax." He said, wiping her forehead. Izzie sighed as she let her best friend take care of her. Finally he set the rag down took her in.

"George…"  
"Stop saying that." He said.

"What?" Izzie asked, taken back.

"Stop saying…stop saying my name like I'm a little kid. You're the one who's in here 27 weeks early. You don't get to say my name. You're the one that's pregnant with a baby that might-"

"No. If you continue with that sentence I'll get Cristina to kick you ass."  
George cracked a small smile as he set down the washcloth and looked at Izzie.

"Ok, seriously, stop looking at me. You're as bad as Alex."

George shook his head as he looked away from Izzie.

"You know, you scared all of us." He finally said after a few minutes.

"Us?" Izzie asked, confused with his use the plural useage. George turned back around and gave her an obvious look.

"Ya 'us'. Callie and me. Alex paged me when I was at home…sleeping."

Izzie had no response to this. She had no idea that he was at home. If she had known that, she wouldn't have had Alex page him. She didn't want Callie to worry, especially since she was also pregnant. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. She was having Addison go all crazy over her when she was 7 months pregnant. Izzie let out a small groan as she laid back into the pillows. George jumped into action, thinking it was another contraction.

"Izz…Izzie are you ok? Do you need Addison?"

Izzie sighed.

"George I'm fine. I just realized that I'm having Addison run all over the freakin hospital, when she's also pregnant. When she gets back in here tell her that I want her to go home."  
George was a little confused.

"What?"

Izzie opened her eyes and then rolled them at him.

"Hello George. Addison is 7 months pregnant with twins. There is no reason for her to be out of her house. I shouldn't have paged her."  
George laughed.

"Izzie, I don't think you should be worrying about her right now. We're just concerned about you and not getting this baby out of you until you hit at least 32 weeks."

Izzie grumbled.  
"I hate being pregnant."

George smiled as he wiped her forehead again right when Alex walked in.

"Hey." He greeted George a little bit coldly as he handed the Ice Chips to Izzie. Her eyes lightened up as she dug into them, melting once the ice hit her mouth.

"Oh my god Alex, thank you so much!"

Alex smiled as he bent down and kissed her on the lips.

"Anything for you."  
The two men kinda stared at each other. Even though they've been friends for 20 years, there was still a little tension between them. Izzie looked between them before rolling her eyes.

"Men." She muttered as she continued to suck on the ice. After a few minutes of silence, Addison, Christina, and Burke came into the room.

"Great, a whole party now." Izzie mumbled as she set the ice chips down. Addison smiled as she looked around the room at all the people, before it fell.

"Ok, there is way too many people in here I need-"

"I'm her husband!"

"I'm the Chief!"

"I'm her friend!"

Everyone began to protest until Addison closed her eyes and held up her hand, signaling for everyone to stop talking.

"I don't care who you are. I need everyone but Alex to step outside for a moment. Yes, even you Burke."

Everyone but Alex grumbled as they made their way to the door. Once it closed Addison turned to Izzie and Alex. But before Addison could talk, Izzie spoke first.

"If you're going to tell me that my baby is going to die, I want to know now. I don't want you to beat around the bush are act all syphatetic and gradually build up to it, I want to know right now if it's going to die."

Addison sighed, taking in Izzie's words.

"Your baby is not going to die."

Before she continued, she gave Izzie and Alex a moment to celebrate. Izzie burst into tears as Alex bent down and hugged her tight.

"We're going to have a baby." She whispered tears streaming down her face. Alex nodded.

"We're actually going to have a baby." He responded. Addison cleared her throat a few minutes later; signaling there was more news.

"We managed to stop it from continuing down your birth canal, but you can't hold it in the position it's at for much longer. We're going to need to do a C-section to get it out before anything else happens."  
Izzie nodded. She had given this speech countless times to scared mothers, but it was different when it was given to you. Seeing that she was scared Addison came over and squeezed her hand.

"Izzie, you know that I'm the best at this. There is no reason to be scared. If all goes well, you should be holding your beautiful baby in about 5 days after the surgery."

Izzie nodded again. Alex smiled as he stood next to Izzie, not knowing what was going through Izzie's mind. After a few minutes of silence, Alex looked down to see Izzie on the verge of freaking out.

"Izz?" he asked, wondering what was wrong. After a seconds, she shook her head and looked around.

"Sorry, its' just a lot to take in, in one day. And…I know the procedure since I've done this a million times; it's just different when it's said to you. Ummm, when do you want to do the surgery?"

Addison sighed.

"I would like to do it today, but it you want to wait till tomorrow, that's understandable too."

Izzie nodded.

"Ok, but on one condition."

Addison and Alex looked at her confused.

"What?" Addison asked.

"That you don't do the surgery."

Both doctors were taken back.

"IZZIE! She's the best surgeon to do it! Why don't you want her to do it?" Alex asked. Izzie looked at him like he was crazy.

"Alex! She's 7months pregnant!" Then she turned her attention to Addison. "Addie, I appreciate all that you're doing for me, but you're supposed to be on leave. I don't want anything to happen to your baby because of me. I'll have Moore do the surgery."

Addison shook her head, not believing what she was hearing.

"Izzie I-"

"Addie, if you don't agree with me, then let's run it by Burke."

Addison opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it. She then turned towards the door and opened it. George, Christina, and Burke almost fell in, since they were standing up against the door, trying to hear what they were saying.

"Aren't you a little old for that?" Snapped Izzie, as they tried to collect themselves, acting like nothing happened. Burke just rolled his eyes, as he stepped forward.

"Addie, Izzie's right. You can't do a C-section when you're just a couple of months away from having your own children. I'm not going to allow you to do that or any surgery. Now if I have to get Mark in here, I will." Burke said firmly. Both Christina and George exchanged looks as they took a step back. Addison looked like she was about the burst, but just nodded her head.

"Fine. I'll let Moore know, and he'll do the surgery." She said softly, as she headed for the door.

"Addie." Called Izzie. Addison stopped in front of the door, but didn't turn around. Izzie sighed as she looked at her heart broken friend.

"I would love for you to be in the OR with me though. I'm probably going to be a mess, and Alex has no clue how to keep me calm, no offense, so if you want…."

Addison turned around, a tear running down her cheek.

"I would love to Izzie." She whispered. Izzie smiled as Addison walked over to Izzie and hugged her. Christina turned around and pretended to gag. Burke turned around and glared at her. George let out a small chuckle, as he stepped forward.

"Izzie, we'll be for you every step of the way. I'm going to go call Callie and let her know everything is all right." He gave Izzie a quick peck on the cheek and turned to leave.

"George?" Izzie called.

George turned around before he left the room.

"Can you…call Meredith and tell her not to worry? I don't want her to go ballistic on her vacation."

George nodded and left. Izzie sank back in her pillows. Christina knew this behavior and headed for the door.

"Christina…where are you going?" asked Alex, confused.

Christina turned around and looked at all of the, except Izzie, like they were idiots.

"She's pregnant! She's had a long day and going to have surgery tomorrow. I think she'd like to take some time and let this all sink in. Now, everyone LEAVE!" Christina announced, sounding like Bailey.

Scared, everyone headed for the door, but Alex. Christina let out a small growl, and Alex followed right behind Burke. Once the door had closed, Izzie let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you so much Christina. I owe you one."

Christina nodded, wiping her face with the wash cloth.

"IF you mention to anyone I'm being considerate, I'll kick your ass after you recover from the surgery."

Izzie laughed.

"Love you too Christina."  
Christina smiled as the two of them sat in the room, in silence.

"What about Meredith and Callie?" asked Izzie after a few minutes.

"What do you mean?" asked Christina.

Izzie sighed.

"I love Meredith, but she doesn't really need to be here. I want her to relax, not worry about me."  
Christina sighed.

"Izz, it's Meredith we're talking about. No matter what, she's probably freaking out like she usually does. Just, don't worry about it, and try to get some sleep."

Izzie nodded as she settled into the pillows and closed her eyes. Christina headed for the door. She took one last look at Izzie and smiled.

"Love you too Izzie." She whispered as she shut off the light, and closed the door, letting her friend dream about the joys of being a mother in peace.

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

**_A/N: I know I said I'd have this up yesterday, but I tried to write, and nothing really came out. I was planning on having Mer in this chapter and Izzie maybe deleveing. I'll save that for nxt chapter. I'm going to start writing tonite, regardless of reviews (BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT U DON'T HAVE TO!!!!). I'm going to really try to have the nxt chapter up tomorrow morning or nite. Most likely night. I REALLY want to have this story done by monday (b/c that's when i go back to school, and quite frankly, this story needs to end). I really don't lk this chapter, but it's what i could write on writer's block. Hoped u liked it more than I did. _**

**_I'd really like 5 reviews, but I'll settle for just a couple. (But try to give me 5?? plz!!!???)_**


	47. CRAP!

Ch. 47: CRAP!

Meredith was in the master bedroom of the cabin packing when Derek came in, after just hanging up with George on the cell phone. Derek ran his fingers through his hair. He couldn't believe what had happened in just a matter of a few hours. Looking up from the cell phone, he looked around as he saw the once filled room was just as empty as it was when they came in. Confused he walked over to the suitcases that were on laying open on the bed. Meredith looked up from her packing, gave him one look, and went back to her job. She went back and forth from the closet, just throwing the clothes into the case, not caring that they weren't folded. All she wanted to do was get the hell out of there and be with her friend. After seeing enough of his wife go crazy, he grabbed her arm, restraining her from walking back to the closet. Meredith closed her eyes, trying to get angry. Derek knew this drill, but he didn't care. He didn't want Meredith going into a panic attack or getting a heart attack and risk losing the baby. Meredith was mentally counting to ten in her mind and once she reached the number she saw that Derek was still holding on to her and she prepared her self to yell.

"Derek, if you don't let go of me right now, I will hurt you." She threatened, but Derek didn't loosen his grip.

"Mer, what good does this do? She's already got everyone there looking over her. She wouldn't want you here. She wants you to stay here and enjoy the vacation until you come back." Derek said, trying to remain calm, but Meredith didn't buy it. She whipped around, glaring at Derek.

"AND HOW DO YOU KNOW! YOU'VE NEVER BEEN PREGNANT DEREK! IT'S ONE OF THE MOST SCARIEST THINGS A WOMAN CAN GO THROUGH. YOU DON'T KNOW IF YOUR CHILD WILL DIE OR LIVE. YOU DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL HAVE 10 FINGERS AND TOES. YOU DON'T KNOW IF YOUR BODY CAN HANDEL IT. NOW HER BODY IS GOING ALL CRAZY AND AGAINST HER, AND ALL YOU CAN SAY IS THAT SHE DOESN'T WANT ME THERE?"

By the time she was done yelling, she was breathing heavily as tears came streaming down as her body began to tremble. Only then did Derek release her and she fell into his chest. He stroked her hair as she sobbed into his chest. They both stood there a few minutes before the crying subsided.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you." Meredith whispered, lifting her head from his chest. Derek smiled as he cupped her face in his hands.

"You had every right to yell at me. You're right. I don't know what it's like being pregnant and I never will. You're going through all these hormone changes, and your getting…big. But you have to understand that I just hung up with George, and everything I told you is what he told me. Now, if you really want to go back home and be with Izzie, then call the lodge, ask for a car and I'll drive us back to Seattle. George said that Moore was going to do a C-section on Izzie tomorrow, so we still have time. Addie did all she could to stop the baby, but Izzie's body can't do anymore to prevent the baby from coming." Derek said softly, making sure he chose his words carefully. Meredith just nodded as she got up and began to pack again. Derek took this as a silent answer to his question. He headed for the living room to call the front office to tell them to bring a car down. He took one last look at Meredith to make sure she was ok. Sure she was still a little shaken up and was trying to withdraw herself, but she was Meredith and at that moment, she looked pretty damn good.

---

Callie couldn't stand still. George had called her and delivered the news, reassuring her that everything was fine, but she still couldn't stand being at home. She knew that the kids knew about their Aunt, but she didn't' want them to worry. Finally after pacing in the kitchen, she decided to keep herself busy by making cookie (since that's what Izzie would probably do). Getting out the stuff, the kids came out of the playroom and entered the kitchen, sitting on the stools on the island. Callie looked up from the mixing bowl, in which she was mixing all the 'dry' ingredients. After a few minutes of silence, Jeremy spoke up.

"What's going on?" He asked. Callie set down the mixer and looked at them and sighed.

"She's stable at the moment but she needs a C-section. There's no way that she can keep the baby in her for 36 or 30 weeks. They want to do it today, but Izzie wants it tomorrow. Aunt Addie is in no condition to perform surgery, but she'll be there with her in the OR with Uncle Alex. Your dad is going to be outside the scrub room with Uncle Burke. Aunt Christina will be waiting in Aunt Izzie's room for her to come in to send the message out to me and Aunt Meredith and Uncle Derek. As far as we know, they're still at the Lake."

Audrey and Jaccob nodded, understanding that their mom and dad weren't going to be back. The room was silent again before Audrey spoke up.

"Is-Is Aunt Izzie or our new cousin going to…die?" She whispered. Everyone's eyes focused on Callie whose whole body sagged as a tear ran down her cheek.

"No...no, no one's dying. We've got the best surgical staff and doctors treating Aunt Izzie. No one is going to die, and that I can promise you."

Everyone nodded, but Callie wasn't sure that they believed her. Callie sighed.

"Here, how about you guys help me with the cookies huh? When we're done, umm I'll call Uncle Mark and we'll take them down to the hospital. That will cheer Aunt Izzie up!"

The kid's eyes brightened up a bit as they nodded and hopped down. Callie moved out of the way, letting the kids take over. Smiling for the first time in a couple of hours, she felt a small kick from her stomach. Looking down, she closed her eyes, feeling the kick again.

Whatever you do, please make it to 36 weeks.

She mentally told the baby. As she stood watching the kids, she thought how great it would be to have another kid in the house.

---

Cristina and Addison were walking down the hall heading for Izzie's room. They were laughing and joking about Addison's pregnancy and how Mark was going to handle not one but two babies waking him up from his beauty sleep at 3 a.m.

"I bet 20 bucks that he's going to crack after the first wake up call." Cristina said as the turned the corner to Izzie's hall. Addison laughed at Cristina's comment.

"I say 40 that he'll crack after the first night." Addison laughed, feeling guilty that she was beating against her husband, but she couldn't deny the truth.

As the space to Izzie's room shrunk a small ringing noise filled the hall. Addison and Cristina stopped dead in their tracks, listening and hoping it wasn't coming from Izzie's room. After a few minutes of straining their ears, they broke into a sprint. Cristina went to the nurse's station, paging Dr. Moore and Mark. Meanwhile, Addison went immediately to Izzie's side, pushing any medication that she had to try to get Izzie to stop delivering. But it was no use. Izzie was in hysteria as Alex and George were trying to calm her down and all the nurses were trying to get her to stabilize. With all this noise, Addison couldn't think.

"OK I NEED EVERYONE TO SHUT UP!" She bellowed.

The room suddenly fell quiet except for Izzie crying and the monitors going off. At that very second, Christina ran into the room, stopping dead in her tracks at the sudden inactivity.

"I-I paged Moore. He's getting OR 3 prepped." Christina announced. Addison nodded as she went to Izzie.

"Izz, I need you to stay clam. Your baby needs to come out now. We don't have time to wait." She said as calmly as possible. Izzie just nodded as the nurses started to unhook her from all the monitors and transferred her over to the gurney. In a matter of seconds the guardrails were up and Izzie was being wheeled down to the OR with Addison and Alex following close behind her. Christina and George were left standing in the room, dumbstruck.

"George…she's…she's not going to…die is she?" Asked Christina in a very 'un-Christina' like manner. George didn't say anything as he took his friend's hand and squeezed it, hoping that at that moment, everything was going to be ok.

----

Derek was going 20 miles over the speed limit. Trees and lakes were rushing past him as he just hit the 90 mark on the speedometer. Meredith was gripping the armrests until her knuckles turned white, but she didn't loosen her grip. She had no clue what was happening to Izzie at that moment. They hadn't heard from George in over 3 hours, and Meredith was starting to get worried. Finally, the Seattle City limit signs came in view as the Space Needle was just visible over the towering trees. Meredith let out a small breath when she finally saw the city, but she didn't relax. Derek looked over to see his wife's face alarmingly white. He knew that this wasn't good for Meredith or the baby, but he knew if he said something, he would either be slapped, or thrown from the car. Returning his eyes to the road, the speed limit dramatically reduced, but Derek was still going 90. At that moment, Meredith's pager went off. She stopped breathing when she saw those 3 deadly numbers show up on her screen.

"Derek….Derek…I need you to go faster. I need you to floor this damn car before I kick you out of the driver's seat and I start to drive." Meredith said in her nervous voice as her eyes didn't leave the pager screen.

"Meredith, I can't go any faster! I'm already risking….shit."

A pair of police lights came into view in the rearview mirror and a police siren shortly followed.

"Derek don't you dare think about stopping." She said in a deadly tone. Derek sighed as he eased up on the gas and pulled over. He knew that Meredith was going to kill him, but it was better than going to jail. At least, he thought it was. Meredith closed her eyes and started to talk to swear as Derek put the car into park and waited for the officer to come and give him his ticket.

"Sir, do you know how fast you were going back there?" Asked the officer when he reached the window. Derek sighed as he turned to the police.

"Yes officer but you see-"

"Sir, you were going 90 in a 70 mph zone. Now, I need to see your licensee and registration please."

Derek sighed as he leaned over to the glove department but Meredith stopped him.

"Mer…" he whispered coldly to her, but she didn't care.

"Ok, you listen to me. I'm 8months pregnant and supposed to be on vacation. I had to stop my job as a neurosurgeon a month ago because of this child that I'm carrying around. My best friend just went into pre-term labor yesterday, and now I just received a page from another one of my friends, whose also a co-worker of mine WHO ALSO happens to be a cardio-thorasitc surgeon, that she has taken a turn for the worse. I had to cut my vacation short, to rush back to Seattle to make sure my friend isn't DYING! Now, do you really want me to keep on going, or do you get the message that if I don't get to Seattle Grace hospital right now, someone's ass is going to be kicked, and it's going to start with yours. I don't care if you're a cop or not. I'm a pregnant hormonal surgeon whose not afraid of anything." Meredith bellowed.

The road was quiet. The officer took off his sunglasses and gave Meredith a good hard look before shaking his head.

"I'll escort you to Seattle Grace personally, but only this once. If I catch you speeding like that again, you will be getting a very heavy ticket." The officer said to Derek.

Derek nodded nervously, as sweat dripped from his face. The officer shook his head as he turned back to his patrol car and turned on his lights, as he drove in front of Derek, motioning him to follow him. Derek lifted his shaking hand as he put the car into drive and began to drive to SGH. Meredith's eyes were once again closed as she began to do some breathing exercises. Derek decided to wait to yell at her for what she did, but he knew she did it with good intention. Finally, after a very long car ride, they pulled up into the emergency entrance of the hospital. Derek jumped out as he ran over to Meredith's side, helping her out. He gave the officer one look, trying to communicate a thanks, as the officer nodded and drove off. Nurses and interns ran to the assistance of Meredith, thinking that she was going into labor.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY! GET ME A DAMN WHEELCHAIR THEN GET OUT OF MY WAY!" She screeched.

Everyone did what they were told, knowing what could happen if they didn't. In a matter of seconds, Derek was wheeling Meredith into the maternity waiting room where Mark, Christina, George, Callie, Burke, and the kids were waiting. Everyone jumped up when they saw Meredith and Derek enter the room. Audrey and Jaccob ran to their parents, embracing them, staring to cry. Meredith began to stroke Audrey's hair, needing something to do with her hands. Derek studied everyone's faces. No one knew what to say. Burke came over and shook Derek's hand and gave Meredith a small shoulder squeeze. Finally, Meredith broke the silence.

"Do we…"

But Burke shook his head. Meredith sighed as she closed her eyes, trying to process everything. The room was quiet once again, everyone not making a sudden move or noise, afraid of what might happened. After what seemed like ages, Alex and Addison walked into the waiting room, still dressed in their surgical gowns. Everyone leapt to their feet once they saw their friends. Addison stepped forward, addressing them all. After a few seconds, her face broke into a smile.

"Mother and daughter are doing fine. Isobel Stevens-Karev delivered a healthy 1.5 pound 6 oz , 14 inch long baby girl at 10:16 p.m." Addison said proudly. All the girls burst into tears, as the men went up to congratulate Alex. After a few minutes of celebrating, Meredith asked the question they were all dying to know.

"Can we go see them?"

Addison shook her head.

"They're both recovering. Izzie should be up for visitor's tomorrow morning. As for her daughter, she's going to be in the NICU for a while, until she gains strength. We'll start allowing visitors later this week. Now if you don't mind, I need to sit down."

Everyone cleared the way as Addison hobbled over to the couch and sat down. Meredith got up from the wheelchair as she took the seat next to Addison, grabbing her hand and squeezing it.

"I'm sure you did great." She said reassuring Addison nodded.

"I can't believe you made it." She whispered tired. Meredith laughed as Derek walked over and sat down next to her.

"Well, I made Derek go 90 in a 70 and I yelled at a cop, but there was no way I was going to sit around over there, worried sick about one of my friends."  
Addison nodded.

"I'm sure she would of done the same for you."  
Meredith smiled as she embraced Addison.

"So, what's the baby's name?" Asked Burke after everyone calmed down. Addison looked at Alex, who smiled.

"Nichole Addison Karev." He said proudly. All the girls, even Christina, started to cry again. Alex stood, smiling a wide-tooth grin as everyone congratulated him again. He had to admit, this was the best feeling in the world.

---------

Izzie woke up the next morning sore from the surgery. She groaned as she opened her eyes a little bit to see the sun shining in her face.

"Close the damn blinds." She grumbled, as Alex stood up and twisted to knob that closed the blinds. Izzie opened her eyes a little further to see not only Alex, but also Meredith sitting in the chair next to Izzie's bed.

"Mer…what…what the hell are you doing here?" she asked surprised.

"Well, I had to fight Addison, but she finally let me come in and see you." Meredith smiled. Izzie cracked a small smile, knowing that Meredith knew what she meant.

"Plus, I knew I would crazy not knowing if you died or not, so we rushed over here just in time."

Izzie smiled, grateful that her friend was here.

"Thanks." She whispered. Meredith grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

"How does it feel to be a proud mom?"

Izzie sighed.

"The feeling hasn't sunk in yet, but right now, it feels great."  
Meredith laughed.

"Just wait till you see her Izz. She looks just like you with Alex's hair."

A small tear rolled down Izzie's cheek as Meredith described her.

"Really?" she asked.

Meredith nodded.

"I had to sneak in there, and threaten a nurse, but ya. Little baby Nichole is the spitting image of you."

Alex smiled as he kissed the top of Izzie's head.

"We did it." He whispered. Izzie nodded.

"We actually did it."

Meredith smiled as she got up.

"Where are you going?" Asked Izzie, surprised at her friend leaving so soon. Meredith turned around.

"Well I figured that you too would want to be alone. And…Addison wants to do a real quick check up on me, since I could pop any week now."  
Izzie rolled her eyes.

"She's supposed to be on leave."

Meredith laughed.

"The life of being a surgeon." She replied as she gave Izzie a wink and left. Once the door closed, Izzie sunk into her pillows, smiling.

"I'm a mom." She whispered. Alex smiled as he kissed Izzie again.

"And I'm a dad."

Izzie laughed at Alex's comment, as he shot her a hurt look.

"What?" she said, trying to control her self, but she soon found out that the laughing began to hurt. After a few seconds the laughing subsided and the room was quiet.

"Alex…I want to see her. I want to see my daughter."

Alex smiled, as he went over to a bag and pulled out to pictures and handed them to Izzie. Izzie burst into tears once she saw the pictures. In them was a little baby Nichole asleep, clinging to Alex's finger. Sure she had all kind of machines hooked up to her, but Izzie didn't care, she was the most beautiful thing in the world.  
"She does look like me." Izzie whispered. Alex nodded as he leaned in to Izzie.

"Exactly like you. Except, I think she had my nose."

Izzie looked up from the picture and at Alex's nose, then back to the picture.

"Nope, the nose is mine. She's got your grip though, I can already tell."  
Alex laughed at the comment, as they continued to stare at their baby.

"I love you little Nichole." Izzie whispered to the picture. "I love you with all my heart and that will never change."  
Alex kissed Izzie on the cheek, as they spent rest of the morning looking at the pictures, and already planning her future.

**_A/N: I started to proof-read this, but then i said screw it. I like all of it but the part where they're in the waiting room and at the very end of this when Alex and Izzie are together. But at this point, I'm just glad I wrote. I kinda like this chapter. Did i scare you?? MUAHHAHAHA! (plz don't hurt me if i did! remeber, i need to go to school on monday! lol). I want to thank the 6 of you who did reveiw! (lucinaLoveGrey, Lily106, brightandshiny02, AFan17 , everythingisawesome, AND MereidthandDerekfanforever!) I feel so special that you still took the time to review, even though i said it wasn't manditory. BUT NOW...I WOULD REALLY LIKE IT IF ALL OF YOU DID:_**

**_I don't know what gender the baby or babies should be for each family. I've got names picked out, but I don't know gender. So it's up to you guys to decide. Do you want Mer and Der to have a boy or girl? Do you want Addie and Mark's twins to be both boys or both girls? So you want Callie and George to have a boy or girl (remember, they already have 1 boy). So, if you would please tell me, I would love it. I'll give you guys 2 days to decide before I post. So that means I'll be posting on...Saturday. _**

**_3 or 4 more chapters left. FINISH STRONG GUYS!!! (espeically w/ the poll). Hoped you liked this chapter!_**


	48. Perfection

**Ch. 48: Perfection**

**_A/N: QUICK NOTE! This is April 23rd 2024 AND Izzie's girl (Nichole Addison) was born on March 4th 2024. I'm so sorry i didn't include that. Ok, so your poll was unanimous-but u will not fid out the results till AFTER u read. Muahahhahaa...so enjoy!_**

Meredith was sitting on Izzie's couch flipping through channels. Both Alex and Derek were at work, and Meredith was going stir crazy on bed rest. Izzie had come home from the hospital a week ago, and Nichole was getting stronger everyday. Moore even told Izzie that she might get to go home in a week. This put Izzie is good spirits as she came in with two steaming hot cups of tea.

"Izzie you have no idea how much I need this!" Meredith said as she grabbed her cup and sipped it as she continued to flip through channels. Finally, she stopped the flipping when the channel landed on 'Discovery Health Channel.'

Izzie rolled her eyes as she sat in the recliner with her tea, not believing that Meredith actually wanted to watch this crap.

"Mer, are you serious? This…this is all 'dramatization.' None of it's real. I wouldn't be surprised if it was all scripted."

Meredith glared at her.

"There's nothing else on. It's either this are 'General Hospital' which is even worse than 'Trauma Life in the ER.' At least here they know the difference between a scalpel and a retractor."

Izzie shrugged, seeing that Meredith was right as the room went silent except for the narrator, screaming parents, and 'doctors' who were explaining the 'procedures' that were nothing close to accurate. Finally, the segment ended and a cholesterol commercial came on. Meredith sighed as she hit the mute button and turned towards Izzie.

"Ok, so the kid isn't actually here, but what's it like having the title as a 'mom'?"

Izzie sighed taking another sip of tea and smiling.

"It feels great. Everytime I walk past the nursery a fuzzy feeling surrounds me. It's like 'wow, we did it. All our dreams are coming true.' It's just a wonderful feeling knowing that someone depends on you now. I know our patients depend on us, but my actions, every move I make will have an impact on this girl's life. It's like…wow."

Meredith laughed.

"Well, that feeling will go away after your first week of waking up at 3 a.m. and you have to get up for a 6 a.m. rounds."

Izzie laughed as the show came back on. She gave Meredith a 'we're-not-honestly-going-to-watch-this-are-we?" look. Meredith chuckled as she shut off the TV.

"Ok, well what do we propose we do?"

Izzie thought for a second.

"Well you're pregnant, so we can't do much."

Meredith chunked a pillow at Izzie's head, but lucky for her it missed-by a mile.

"You throw like a girl." Izzie teased as she threw a pillow at Meredith.

"What do you expect? I got a human being taking up half my bone capacity!" Meredith retorted.

Soon the two of them were throwing pillows at each other, but the fun soon stopped when Meredith crumbled in pain. Izzie dropped her tea as it spilled all over the carpet, and rushed to Meredith's side.

"Mer, Meredith, ok breathe breathe."

Meredith closed her eyes and took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Finally, the pain subsided, and Meredith's eyes fluttered open to see Izzie's face inches away from her's.

"Izzie, personal space." She said, trying to get up, but Izzie wouldn't let her.

"I'm paging Moore and calling Addison." She said, getting up and heading for the phone.

"Iz, Izzie don't you-Dammit-Izzie if you touch the phone I'll kill you!"

Meredith struggled getting up and by the time she made it to the phone Izzie was hanging up after paging Dr. Moore.  
"Izzie I'm fine. I'll start worrying when-"

At that exact moment, a splash of cold water hit Meredith's bare feet and splashed all over the carpet.

"My water breaks." She finished groaning. Izzie smiled, as she hung up the phone, after talking to Addison.

"Addie wants you at the hospital now. She's paging Derek and they'll meet you in my old room."

Meredith grumbled since she knew she had no say in this at all. She was a helpless pregnant 38 year-old who needed to be taken everywhere. Izzie laughed as she grabbed the coats and held the door open for Meredith as she wobbled out.  
"I'm drawing the line after this one pops out!" Called Meredith as she waited by the car door for Izzie.

"If Derek wants another kid, he better find a way to carry it, b/c I'm done."  
Izzie had no comment as she held the door open for Meredith and climbed in the other side her self, starting the car. As she starting driving to the hospital (which was only about 7 minutes away) another contraction hit Meredith. She grabbed onto the armrests, trying to remain calm, but it was just too much. Izzie looked over, knowing that she could do nothing for her friend, considering that she was driving. After a few minutes, Meredith's face returned to normal, and let out a slow breath.

"I hate Derek." She grumbled, as Izzie pulled into the parking lot.

"Don't we all?" Izzie said under her breath as she parked, hopped out, and helped Meredith out. Nurses were already standing at the door with a wheel chair when the arrived, and rushed over to the car. Meredith rolled her eyes as she sat down, not liking all the attention. Izzie shook her head as she shooed the nurses off and pushed Meredith into the hospital.

"I swear if I got a welcom-shit."

As soon as they walked through the automatic doors half the surgical staff was waiting for them.

"Izzie, who the hell did you call besides Addison and Moore?"

Izzie was just as shocked as Meredith was.

"N-No one I swear. You know how fast the rumor mill runs around here. Nurse Debbie must of let it slip."  
Meredith groaned.

"You talked to Nurse Debbie? Izzie, how long have you been working here?"

But Izzie didn't get a chance to answer that. Derek was by Meredith's side the moment the doors opened, and he did all but push Izzie out of the way. She gave him a mean glare, but decided to let it slide, seeing Meredith was pregnant and all. The kids were also by Meredith's side, excited for their new baby brother or sister's birth. Meredith wanted to scream at everyone to go away, but she knew that would just cause more stir, so she stayed put. Derek was like Moses as the sea of surgeons parted, letting Meredith through. Christina was at the end rolling her eyes.

"Help me!" Meredith mouthed as Derek rolled her into the elevator. Christina stepped in at the last minute, before the doors closed on all the wonderful smiling faces of SG's surgeons. Once the doors closed, Meredith finally breathed.

"You're the pregnant one next time." Meredith hissed as a contraction came over once again.

"SHIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!" Meredith's voice filled the room as she grabbed for Christina and Derek's hands. When the doors opened, the contraction still hadn't subsided, and everyone began to stare. After a few more seconds, Meredith released her death gripped and opened her eyes.

"WHAT!?" She yelled at everyone as they began to scurry. Only Dr. Moore and Addison didn't move, but stayed where they were smiling. Derek and Christina massaged their hands as Audrey pushed her mom out of the elevator and handed her over to Addison.

"So Meredith, we ready to deliver?" Asked Dr. Moore, leading the way to her room.

"Well obviously since I'm as big as an Ocean Liner and my contractions are now 8 minutes apart." Meredith answered dryly. Derek just smiled as they entered the room, and moved Meredith over to the bed.

"Ok, well, we'll just get you changed into a gown, get you on the sonogram, check your dilation, then soon enough get you an epidural and the baby will be on it's way." Dr. Moore smiled. Meredith just looked at him like he was crazy as he exited the room.

"Is he serious? How about we switch places and see how he feels having someone looking at your va-jay-jay every what 15 minutes? Then get a stink IV line into your back, then have a 7-pound child travel down your birth canal, all in one day? Is that all?"

Addison laughed as she wiped Meredith's forehead.

"Ya you can laugh, but just wait till next month when this is you, and you can stop smirking Miss. 'I'm-done-with-child-birth.' I was too until this guy came around."

Derek blushed as stepped forward.

"And you're doing great." He said, trying to get on her good side. Meredith just rolled her eyes and turned her attention to her kids.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be acting like this. I'll be back to normal in a couple of weeks." She said, a little softer. The kids just nodded, knowing that this attitude wasn't going to last long.  
"We'll go and play with our cousins and let you have your privacy." Audrey said as they scurried out of the room. Meredith looked around, innocently.

"Was it something I said?"

Christina snorted.

"Try something you screamed.'  
Derek turned and glared at her.

"What? She asked!"

Meredith laughed as she leaned back into the pillows.

"This is going to be a long day!"

---

"AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY ISN'T THIS EPIDURLA KICKING IN!!!???" Meredith screamed 3 hours later. Her contractions were now 2 minutes apart, and were 9 centimeters dilated. Derek was by her side coaching her as his hand was getting broken and Addison was on her other side, wiping her forehead. Christina was just there for moral support, and Izzie was standing out of the way, just there because Meredith wanted her to be. Finally the contraction subsided.

"You're dead." She muttered to Derek as sweat poured down her face.

Derek just smiled as he massaged his hand.

"Well, next contraction, I say we push!" Moore announced as he got up from the foot of the bed. Meredith groaned, trying to relax before the next contraction hit her.

"Where's Callie?" She asked looking around.

"She left. You were damaging her ear drums, and she need to rest. The baby was starting to kick like hell. She said that she'll be in here after you deliver." Christina said, leaning up against the wall.

"Christina!" hissed Izzie.

"What?"  
Izzie sighed.

"You could have been more…polite about it."  
Christina shrugged as Meredith laughed.

"No no it's okay. Actually you guys can leave if you want. I really don't need you here. I just need him and her." She said pointing at Derek and Addison.

"Oh goody." Derek said under his breath, but Meredith caught it.

"Hey, you made me this way!" She shot back. Izzie laughed as she came over to Meredith.

"I got to go check up on Alex and Nichole any way. I promise, the moment you're done, I'll be in here."  
Meredith nodded as Izzie gave her a quick squeeze of the hand and left. Now her attention turned to Christina.

"Hey I rather be in here than out they're with the nurses and everyone pacing." She shrugged. Meredith laughed as Dr. Moore came back in.

"Ok Meredith we ready?"

Meredith sighed as she re-positioned herself as the contraction began.

"OK on 3…1…2…3…PUSH!"

Meredith's screams filled the room along with Addison's coaching.

"Ok relax." Said Dr. Moore. Meredith fell into the pillows exhausted.

"That was good. I can see the head. We'll try again in a few minutes. Just relax, you're doing fine."

Meredith nodded as Derek wiped her forehead.

"It'll be over in a few minutes. You're doing great."  
Meredith rolled her eyes.

"I so want sex after this."

Dr. Moore laughed.  
"Sorry Mer, but you'll have to wait 6 weeks after this."

Meredith looked at him like he was crazy.

"WHAT? So you're saying I'm going 10 weeks without sex?"

Dr. Moore nodded.

"But that's besides the point, get read to push again."

Meredith grubbed as she situated her self.

"No sex for another 6 weeks, what kind of sick and AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"GOOD GOOD HERE IT COMES AND…IT'S OUT!"

Meredith fell into the pillows exhausted.

"And it's a girl!" announced Addison as they carried away the baby to get cleaned up. Meredith rolled over to look at Derek.

"We did it. We're the proud parents of a baby girl." She whispered. Derek nodded.

"You did great babe." He whispered, kissing the top of her head. Meredith smiled and closed her eyes. IT had been a long day, but seeing her new baby would make it all better.

"And here you go. A healthy 7 lb. 6 oz 21 inches long baby girl."

Addison said carrying her over. Meredith smiled when she looked at her daughter.

"Hey baby." She cooed as her eyes opened and looked at Meredith.

"She has your eyes and my hair." Meredith whispered looked down at her baby. Derek nodded.

"She's beautiful."

Christina was about to gag at the sappiness.

"Hey, does she have a name or are you just going to call her 'she' or 'hey you…girl!'?"

Meredith looked over at her.

"We were getting there thank you." She retorted with a smile.

Christina rolled her eyes, waiting for the name. Meredith looked up and Derek and he nodded.

"Well, we've been talking about it and we thought of…"

"Gracie-Michelle-"

"Isobel!"

"Shepherd."

Addison melted.

"That's so beautiful!" She cried, coming over and hugging Derek. Christina even came over and hugged him, but it was very awkward.

"Ok, well I'm going to go tell everyone. When do you want them in here?"

"Oh uh, 10 minutes is fine." Meredith said, not paying any attention to her leaving. Addison smiled, seeing that this was also her cue to leave. Now it was only Derek, Meredith, and Gracie-Michelle.

"She looks like both of us." Meredith said, smiling, not taking her eyes off her new daughter.

"Ya. She's so…"  
"Small? Beautiful?"

"Perfect."

Meredith looked up at him.

"Yes, yes she is."

The two of them stood there, looking at their daughter, wiggling around, trying to fall asleep. They tried to savor this moment as long as the could, knowing that it was going to disappear in a few minutes.

"Thank you, for giving me the chance to have one last beautiful child." Meredith said, looking at Derek. Derek smiled.

"Thank you for giving me one last beautiful child."

Meredith laughed.

"I guess we should all get some sleep?" she asked, looking at Gracie in her arms. Derek laughed.

"Unless you want a whole bunch of surgeons looking at a sleeping nuero-surgeon and child."

Meredith laughed.

"Just for a few minutes, until they come in."

Derek laughed as he took Gracie from her arms and she settled into her bed, quickly falling asleep.

"C'mon, let's let mommy sleep, and you can go meet all your Aunts and Uncles and cousins and your grandpa." Derek whispered as he walked out of the room. He took one last look at Meredith before leaving. One word ran through his mind as he held his new daughter and walked down the hall to meet their friends.

_Perfection._

**_A/N: yes it's me again. So i got lk 8 votes for girls, and none for boys for the Shepherds sooo. And i wanted them to have a girl ne way so! ha ha ha. ummmm so i won't release the other results till the chaptesr. I don't think that's fair. I feel SOO bad for not having this up yesterday, but...actually i have no exscuse. I'm writing and posting this on the day b4 school starts! ha ha...JUNIOR YR!!! it's a mixed emotion thing. So, hope ul iked it. I'll be skipping aorund a lot fyi. Each ch. will b lk a mont difference. I'll just tell u now, nxt chapter addie is delivering. so u have 3 babies born in a row. SORRY! but it's the only way i can get it done. I can't tell u when it'll b up, b/c of school, but it'll b ASAP! THANKS AND REVEIWS!!!_**

**_5+ will make me feel guitly and i'll put off hw and write:D And it'll make me have a chatper up on...saturday lol._**


	49. Pride and Love

**Ch. 49: Pride and Love**

**_May 18, 2024_**

**_A/N: PLEASE READ C) IN MY AUTHORS NOTE BELOW!!!!!!!!!!! now...here's chapter 49:_**

Meredith snuggled into her pillows with a Medical Journal propped up in her lap. It was a month later, and she had just put Gracie down after her afternoon feeding. Saying that Meredith was tired was the understatement of the year. Dr. Moore had allowed her and Gracie to go home 5 days after the delivery. Everything was normal, and by their standards, Gracie-Michelle was a healthy 5-day-old baby who didn't need the nurses help anymore. For the next couple days, everything went smoothly; for the most part. Burke had given Derek the next week off the care for Meredith and the new baby. But this didn't go so well with Meredith. Derek became the overprotective husband who wouldn't allow Meredith to do anything but feed and hold Gracie. Meredith was almost at her boiling point with Derek, but before she knew it, he was back to work. Thatcher was over everyday to give Meredith some time off while everyone was at work or school. Christina would come over 3 times a week to give Meredith some company and it seemed like Izzie was over everyday. Addison and Callie were on house arrest by their husbands seeing that they were getting bigger by the day.

After the first week of being home, Gracie began to adapt. She was looking around and taking in all the sites and smells. She smiled whenever her daddy played with her, and cried when she was hungry or needed changing. She also never failed to wake up Meredith and Derek at 2:30 in the morning for her feeding. This put Derek in a bad mood for the first couple days, but then he began to adjust, just muttering something about coffee and patients and dying whenever Meredith shoved him signaling 'your turn'. The kids were also a great help with Gracie. They would watch her on the weekends when Meredith was cleaning or taking a nap. They loved playing with their baby sister but when she started to scream, they ran for the hills.

According to Meredith, everything was perfect. She was now on her afternoon break while Thatcher was downstairs either playing with Gracie or watching TV while she slept. Derek would arrive home in the next half-hour after picking up the kids from school. This was a normal daily routine that Meredith liked. Except for today. No matter how hard she tried; she couldn't take her 2-hour nap that she was used to. She tossed and turned, waking up every 10 minutes, paranoid something was wrong with Gracie, only to sneak downstairs to see her fast asleep in her bassinet. After a half-hour, she gave up on sleep and pulled out the latest Medical Journal that Derek brought home from the hospital. Burke had told her that she could go back to in 3 days, so she was trying to get caught up with everything. Originally, the plan was to have Meredith back in 2 weeks, but being the over protective person he was Derek wouldn't allow it.

Turning the page, Meredith glanced over at the clock. It was 4:00 exactly; meaning that Derek would be bursting through the door in a couple of seconds, with worn out kids, waking up Gracie from her nap. Sighing, she threw the Journal aside, and put on her robe and slippers, ascending down the stairs. Hearing the footsteps, Thatcher turned around smiling.

"She okay?" Meredith asked, picking up her daughter.

"Slept the moment I turned on the TV. I don't know what it is. I think the sound sooths her." Thatcher laughed. Meredith smiled as she sat down on the couch, cradling Gracie in her arms.

"What were you watching?" she asked.

"Oh some medical show. I think it was called Stethoscope or something. Didn't really impress me, and sure didn't impress this little one."

Meredith laughed as she looked down at her daughter. Her hair was getting longer by the day. Now she didn't look like a bald 1-month-old. Her blonde roots were starting to show and the curls were starting to form. Meredith brushed a piece of hair out of Gracie's eyes and smiled. Her cheeks were starting to get chubby and have a little color to them. She was finally starting to look like a little human begin instead of a baby. Thatcher watched his own daughter bond with his granddaughter.

"She looks like you when you were a baby." He said softly. Meredith looked up from Gracie and into his eyes, not knowing what to say.

"Ya, the blonde hair and the curls and the big red chubby cheeks. She's the spitting image of you when you were that age. I will never forget it. Your mother was always in surgery, not caring that she had just given birth, so I was left to take care of you. You were my little angel, always getting into trouble, even though you couldn't move. I don't think your mother ever understood how special you were, but me, I knew."

Meredith smiled, feeling a warm feeling inside of her. She was glad that she gave her father a second chance, and she cherished these moments she spent with him; even though they didn't last long. Before Meredith knew it, Derek was coming through the door and throwing his bag down, dead tired. The kids followed in suit, heading for the kitchen, hoping their grandpa had put something out for them to eat. Meredith smiled at Derek as he came over and kissed her and Gracie on the forehead.

"How my two favorite girls doing this afternoon?" He asked. Meredith shook her head.

"Derek, we've got two other kids here. You can't say Gracie's your favorite, it'd hurt their feelings. You have to love each and every one of your children equally."  
Derek was taken back for a second, but then nodded his head.

"Your right. I'm sorry. Let me rephrase, how's my favorite wife AND my new born daughter doing this wonderful afternoon?"

Thatcher laughed at how whipped Meredith had him. He got up and headed for the kitchen, giving the two of them some privacy. After he left, Meredith let out a sigh.

"I couldn't sleep this afternoon. I was too paranoid about her safety, and I don't know why. She on the other hand slept perfectly according to dad. She was a perfect little angel." Derek nodded, his head, but was a little worried about Meredith not sleeping.

"You couldn't sleep?" He asked. Meredith rolled her eyes, standing up and putting Gracie in the bassinet.

"I'm sure it's nothing Derek. This is only the fist time it's happened. I'll start worrying if it continues. Now, how was work."  
Derek closed his eyes and groaned, stretching across the couch.

"That bad?" Meredith asked laughing, taking her seat at his head, running her finger through his hair.

"Some idiot tried to commit suicide so I had to do an emergency craniotomy on him. Then the dumbass intern thought he knew everything, and tried to correct me on my procedure. Naturally I threw him out and sent him to Burke. As far as I know, he's on probation. Christina cornered me in the hallway and demanded to know how you were doing. Oh and Izzie's coming over with Nichole and Mark with dinner. She wants Thatcher there too."

Meredith nodded, still having her fingers in his hair.

"Don't worry, I'll be back next week. Things will start calming down. Dad will take care of Gracie until she's old enough then we can put her into the hospital daycare."

Derek nodded, enjoying the scalp massage. Both of them sat there, enjoying the quietness and the togetherness that they had. After 8 weeks of no sex, Meredith and Derek never felt more together. They were kinda glad they went on this sex fast, but couldn't' wait till it was over. After a few minutes of quiet, Thatcher came running in the room with the kids in tow.

"Mer, I just got a call from the hospital." He announced.

Meredith turned around confused.  
"They know I'm on leave. Why the hell would they be calling me? Why wouldn't' they call Derek?"

Derek sat up and went over to the phone, which Thatcher was holding.

"I already hung up with them." Thatcher said, as Derek put the phone down.

"Well what did he say?" Derek demanded. Sure he was starting to like Thatcher, but at moments, he could be very infuriating.

"Well it was Izzie. Apparently Addison has gone into labor."  
Meredith sat there in shock. She had totally forgotten that today was Addison's due date. Not caring what she wore, Meredith grabbed the car keys and headed for the door, not realizing that her whole family was still in the living room. After the door closed behind Meredith Derek sighed.

"Thatcher, I need you to stay here with the kids. There is no way Meredith is going to miss this. Addison was there for Meredith, and Meredith will never forgive her self if she isn't there for Addison. Guys, I need you to be on your best behavior for grandpa okay?"

Audrey and Jaccob nodded as Derek quickly kissed them, and Gracie, goodbye and headed for the door.

"I'LL CALL LATER!" He shouted as the door shut, leaving the Shepherd-Grey family slightly confused.  
"So…what do you guys want to do?" Thatcher asked, as the kids shrugged, and sat down, flipping on the TV, acting like this was an ordinary day for them.

---

Addison tried to do the stupid breathing exercises that she told all her patients to do, but at that moment, the last thing she was concentrating on was inhaling and exhaling. Mark was by her side running his arm up and down her's, thinking it was relaxing her. Izzie was on her other side wiping her forehead. She didn't say anything, knowing for personal experience that it was better to say nothing than to say something. She just offered a friendly smile and continued to wipe the sweat away. Suddenly out of no where, another contraction hit her, but this one was full force.

"I HATE YOU MARK SLOAN!" She screamed as she gripped his arm, her knuckles turning white. Mark's face twisted as her fingernails dug into his skin, this time almost puncturing skin. Finally, Addison released her death gripped and sighed. Mark opened his eyes to see 4 small red lines on his forearm.

"Shit Addison, could you grip any harder?" He asked as he rubbed his arm, but he regretted it after that last word came out of his mouth.

Addison turned towards him, her eyes livid.

"No Mark I can't. I'll make sure that next time my abdomen contracts that it feels like my WHOLE FREAKIN BODY IS ON FIRE, I'll kill all the nerves in you arm." She spat. She closed her eyes, trying to block out her stupid husband and return to "normal state". Izzie shot a look at Mark. He threw up his hands in his air, and started for the door.  
"Where do you think you're going?" asked a voice from the threshold of the door. Addison's eyes fluttered open to see Meredith with he hands on her hands on her hip, glaring at Mark.  
"MEREDITH!" Addison squealed, happy to see her. Meredith's expression quickly softened, seeing her friend in the same position she was a month ago.  
"How ya doing?" She asked, brushing some loose hairs out of her eyes. Addison shrugged.

"At the moment I hate men and their penises. I'm never having a baby ever again. I never knew this is what the pain and suffering these poor women go through. How did you do it…three times?"

Meredith laughed.

"It wasn't easy, but trust me when you see that little face, faces for you, staring up at you, it's a whole new feeling. Sure you do it everyday, but the baby being yours…it's like…wow."

Addison nodded. She knew this speech all too well, but hearing it from Meredith made it all better. Addison looked up at Izzie with caring eyes.

"Thanks. For being here." She whispered.

"Hey you were there for us," Izzie said, "It's the least we could do."

Addison was about to say something, but another contraction hit her. Luckily, Dr. Moore walked right when it started. He smiled as Meredith moved out of the way to let him examine her. After another minute, the contraction subsided and Addison breathed.

"Well Addie, I say we can push in the next half hour. You're really progressing. Looks like a C-Section will not be needed."

Addison nodded. She knew that this was good news, but she had no energy to respond.

"Ok, well I'll be back in about 15 minutes so we can get set up."

Again, Addison nodded and Moore left. The room was quite for a few minutes, before Addison realized that Mark was missing.  
"Where that son-of-a-birth bastard go?" She asked annoyed.

"HE went to get you some ice chips so you can just relax and focus on having my god child." Replied Derek as he stepped into the room and kissed Addison on the forehead. "How you doing?"

Addison rolled her eyes.  
"Why does everyone ask me that question? I'm pregnant! I'm in labor! How do you think I am?"

Derek looked at Meredith who just shook her head, not believing he just asked her that question.

"I-I'm sorry? I'll just…go. I'll check in later." He stammered as he kissed Addison and Meredith, gave Izzie a quick hug and left.

"Don't worry, I'll kill him for you." Said Meredith as Addison opened her mouth. Addison smiled at her friend.  
"Thank you." She mouthed as she closed her eyes. Meredith and Izzie exchanged glances as Mark came in shortly after, right on cue.

"Hey Addie, we're going to give you guys some space. We promise we'll be back in 10 minutes." Said Izzie, handing the rag over to Mark. Mark's eyes went wide at Izzie's proposition.

"What? You can't leave! What if she goes into labor or or…"

"Shut up Mark." Said Meredith, almost slapping him. "Moore will be in, in about 15 minutes to deliver. We're just going to leave you guys here for a few minutes. We promise we'll be back soon."

Still bewildered, he nodded as the two women left, seeing that Addison was nodding off to sleep, knowing she was only going to get a few minutes.  
"Great, I'm left with a fat crazy lady having twins for a 'few minutes'. If I get out of here alive, I swear I'll never drink again." He thought as he gave Addison a weak smile, even though she couldn't see it, and began to whip her forehead.

---

"I CAN SEE THE HEAD! KEEP ON PUSHING…ALMOST THERE! AND…BABY NUMBER 1 IS OUT!"

Addison flopped into the pillows. Her body was drenched with sweat as Izzie took the first baby over get examined.

"IT'S A GIRL!" She shouted over her shoulder. Addison smiled at Mark.  
"We have a baby girl." She whispered. Mark nodded.

"Ya. Just one more, and no more babies."

This made Addison very happy. Meredith chuckled at this, remembering when she was in that position. She massaged her hand as she waited for Izzie to come back with the news of the baby.

"You're doing great Addie." She said, trying to make conversation. Addison nodded.

"I goes by so fast. It's like one moment you have a human inside of you and the next…it's alive."

Moore laughed.

"Well, we still got one more to welcome. You ready?"

Addison repositioned herself.

"I guess I'll have to do it sooner than later." She said as her face scrunched up as the pain hit her as she started to push.

"OK ADDIE, YOU'RE DOING GREAT! JUST ONE MORE GIANT PUSH! AND…BABY NUMBER 2 IS OUT!"

Addison sighed a huge sigh as she relaxed. The nurse handed the other baby over to Izzie who carried it over to join it's sister. After a few minutes, Izzie brought two bundles of joy over to Addison and Mark. One was wrapped in a pink blanket and the other one was in a blue blanket.

"Happy Birthday Sloan twins." She cooed as she laid the twins in Addison's arms. A tear trickled down her cheek as she held her children.

"They're so…small." She choked. Mark laughed.

"Don't say it." Meredith hissed at him, sensing he was going to say some snide remark. He opened his mouth, but decided to join his wife with his new twins.

"Welcome to life." He said as he ran his index finger over his daughter's cheek.

"She looks like me." Addison commented, as she found some red hair starting to stick up. Mark smiled.

"And this little guy is the spitting image of his old man."

Meredith watched them, letting the suspense build up. Finally she couldn't take it anymore.

"What's their names?" she blurted. Addison looked up at Meredith then Mark.

"Well…this little girl's name is Ashley Meredith Sloan."

A small tear trickled down Meredith's cheek, not believing that she named her only daughter after her-especially after all the roller coaster rides they've been through.

"And this big guy is Nicholas Joseph in memory of my father."  
Izzie and Meredith melted in the cuteness.

"Well I'm happy to announce they're very healthy. Ashley is 6 lb. 1 oz and is and 24 inches long. Nicholas is 5 lb. 6 oz and about 18 inches long. But, they're very healthy twins."

Addison nodded.

"Hey, can you guys give us a moment? Tell everyone the good news, and we'll be happy to show them off in about 5 minutes."  
Izzie and Meredith nodded.

"Congratulations Addie." Izzie said, smiling and heading for the door.

"Ya. It's a wonderful feeling isn't it?" Asked Meredith, who gave the twins one last look. Addison looked at Mark and then looked at Meredith.

"Meredith….we'd be honored to have you and Derek as our children's godparents…that is…if you want."  
Meredith's eyes welled up with tears.

"Add, I would love too. Let me go tell Derek the good news and I need to call my dad and the kids!"

She rushed out of the room, not believing that she was going to be a godparent. After the door closed, Addison closed her eyes.

"We did it Mark. We're finally parents."  
Mark nodded as he took Ashley into his arms.

"Ya, and at the moment, I couldn't be any prouder."  
The two of the sat there taking in their children, overwhelmed with pride and love.

**_A/N: Ok. a) I didn't proof-read as you can tell. I'm so damn tired, and i just wanted to get this up. b) I'M SORRY THIS WASN'T UP SOONER! It's amazing how teachers ur junior yr start to pile hw on you. So ya...my excuse is hw. Sorry! But, 1 a week or 1 every 2 weeks updates can be exepcted! c) I've posted a co-written one-shot. I co-wrote it w/ my bff x0x Maddie x0x. It's not under Grey's b/c i want to expand my horizon, but it is a Grey's cross over. Either go to my profile and find: The Strangest Story You Will EVER Read or go to books, mediator, and find it there. WE WOULD REALLY LOVE FOR YOU TO READ AND REVIEW! c). Idk y i named mer the godparent, i just thoguth...hey y not. I really don't lk this chapter, but i just really wanted to post something. d) 2 more chapters left, not counting the epilouge! _**

**_5+ reviews will ensure that I have the next chapter up this weekend!!!!!!_**


	50. Last But Not Least

**_Ch. 50: Last But Not Least_**

Meredith looked up from her patient whose skull flap and looked around her OR. Ok, it technically wasn't exactly her OR since there was 5 other surgeons in there working on the same lady (not counting the interns that belonged to each of the surgeons). Taking in the room she saw Izzie and Addison hunched over the lady's ovary, trying their hardest to deliver her twins. Meanwhile, Christina was up at the heart, doing an emergency pulmonary transfusion and Derek was just finishing up repairing the nerves in her broken right arm. They had been in surgery for six hours, and it didn't look like they were almost done. Tearing her eyes away from the body, her eyes drifted off to the gallery where only a few doctors sat, including Burke and George.

George was up on the highest bench, sulking a bit, mad that he wasn't in on the magnificent surgery. But then again, it was better if he wasn't in on it just incase he got paged that Callie went into labor or something to that extent. Burke on the other hand was almost falling out of his seat, knowing one wrong move could cost the hospital millions. Seeing that Meredith was looking at him, he jabbed his finger down as if to say 'look at the brain and not at me!' Looking back to the brain, she saw that it was starting to fill up with blood.

"Suction it damn it!" She ordered the intern. As if jumping to life, her intern used the siphon and suctioned up the blood. Meredith glared at the intern, even though she knew it wasn't his fault, it wasn't like she was going to admit it. Derek looked up from the arm to see what was going on. He laughed silently to himself as he looked back down. He loved how Meredith never admitted she was wrong and put the blame on others, well except when she put the blame on him. After a few more minutes, Meredith's eyes began to wander again. It's not that she was getting bored, surgery is what she lived for, it was just so hard to concentrate having all her friends and peers here with her. They were finally all back to work except Callie of course who still had another couple of weeks before her due date.

As her eyes wandered, they met Derek's for a split second before they darted back down to the brain. Derek let out a silent chuckle as he called his intern over.

"Go over and ask Dr. Shepherd what's so interesting," He whispered to the intern. The intern stood there for a moment, wondering why Derek was asking him to be a messenger, but once he got a look from Derek saying 'NOW!' he scrambled over to Meredith, who pretended to be hard at work. After a few seconds of no acknowledgment from his attending, the intern did a little cough. Meredith sighed as she looked up at the scrawny intern standing 3 feet away from her.

"What?" she snapped at him, turning back to her brain.

"Well…umm Dr. Shepherd…the other…umm Dr. Shepherd wants to know if…"

"Morgan I don't have all day here. Spit it out!" Meredith hissed.

The intern took a deep breath as he spit the rest of his sentence out.

"Hewantstoknowwhatsointeresting."

Meredith looked straight ahead, trying to comprehend what the intern just said.

"What?" she asked, confused and slightly annoyed.

"He wants to know what's so interesting."

Meredith had to close her eyes to control her anger. She looked up right at Derek who gave her a 'what? I didn't do anything!' innocent look. She just rolled her eyes as she began to control the hemorrhage.

"Tell Dr. Shepherd that everything is fine and that the only interesting thing is the inside of this woman's head. Oh, and if he has a problem with that, he's on diaper duty for the rest of the month."

The intern stood there shocked, but then decided not to ask as he made his way back over to the other Dr. Shepherd.

"Ummm Dr. Shepherd?" He asked tentatively. Derek looked up from the arm to see his intern standing there.

"Well? What did she say?" He asked, getting annoyed that he had to baby this intern with everything.

"She told me to tell you that everything is fine and that the only interesting thing is the inside of the woman's head. Oh, and if you have a problem with that, you're on diaper duty for the rest of the month." The intern said matter-of-factly.

Christina snorted upon hearing this news, but kept her mouth shut, storing this in the back of her mind for later blackmail use. Derek looked up when he heard Cristina snort.

"Something funny Dr. Burke?" he asked, embarrassed. Christina just shook her head returning back to the heart.

"Nothing at all Dr. Shepherd…nothing at all."

Derek rolled his eyes at her, deciding not to say anything since she was Meredith's person and all and…she did look like he could kick his ass while he was sleeping. After a few more minutes of what everyone thought was quietness, the vital machine started to go off and all heads shot up except for Addison and Izzie's. They were both struggling with getting the twins fee and blood was spurting everywhere.

"Hamilton, page Dr. Moore and tell him it's an emergency." Meredith ordered to Izzie's intern.

"That won't be necessary," Izzie snapped at Meredith "We've got everything…damn it."

"DAMN IT IZZIE!" swore Christina when the ladies heart all of a sudden decided to stop.

"OH LIKE I CAN CONTROL HER HEART WHILE I'M DOWN HERE IN HER FREAKIN OVARY TRYING TO GIVE LIFE TO HER BABIES!"

"WELL SHE WON'T BE ABLE TO RAISE THEM IF SHE'S DEAD!"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" bellowed Meredith.

The OR was suddenly quiet except for the vital machine going haywire.

"Okay, Hamilton page Moore NOW! Izzie, do whatever you have to do and save that babies life, and Christina get that heart pumping so she CAN raise her twins!" ordered Meredith. Everyone blinked at her, before diving back into the body cavity. Meredith took a deep breath, trying to get over the added stress that was just put on her. She looked up to see Derek giving her a smile, before returning to her arm. Before long, Dr. Moore burst into the OR, a little flustered.

"I was paged?" he asked.

"We need your help to stop this bleeding down here while we try to deliver the twins." Explained Addison, not looking up from the tangle of cords. Dr. Moore nodded as he pushed the interns out of the way, and squeezed his way between Izzie and Addison

Seeing the dilemma, Derek stepped up this time.

"Johnson, Lopez, you're out of here."

Both interns looked up and started to protest.

"GO!" barked Derek.

Sulking, they tore off their surgical gowns, and stomped out of the OR, making sure everyone heard the door slam behind them.

"Damn interns." Cursed Derek, watching them leave. Meredith laughed, but made sure Derek didn't hear her. Suddenly, two ear-piercing screams filled the room, drowning out the vital machine.

"We've got life!" Izzie announced, cutting the umbilical cord and carrying Twin I over to the examination table.

"Correction, we've got lives!" answered Addison, carrying Twin II over to the other examination table.

Meredith, Derek, and Cristina looked up momentarily from the body cavity to see the two screaming children get carried off to the other side of the room.

"Ummm Dr. Burke, don't you have a heart that you're supposed to get pumping again? I really don't want to call 'time of death' after working for 7 hours on this ladies arm!" snapped Derek. Cristina looked like she was about to castrate him, but instead went back to her heart. After a few more minutes, they vital machine began to show a regular heart beat, and the only sound in the OR was the babies crying.

"IZZIE…ADDISON…GET THEM OUT OF HERE!" bellowed Meredith.

Izzie glared at Meredith as she handed over the baby to the nurse, as did Addison. The sounds of the screams stopped once they were out of the room. Everyone sighed once their ears stopped ringing.

"That was unpleasant." Muttered Derek, going back, once again, to his unattended arm.

Meredith shot him a look.

"Of course you wouldn't know what a scream sounds like since you're always so conveniently sound asleep when your daughter is awake at 3 o'clock in the morning." Hissed Meredith. Derek turned a dark shade of red, fully embarrassed infront of his peers and his interns. Izzie and Addison chuckled as they headed for the scrub room.

"So we're obviously not needed here anymore. Mer, we're going to your house to free your dad from his torture. Call when you're done!" called Addison since Izzie was already scrubbing out.

"Oh…ok!" called Meredith back, too preoccupied with her brain to realize what was going on, but Derek wasn't.

"Wait what? ADDISON!" Derek shouted, but it was too late. Addison was already drying and out the scrub-room door. Derek looked around to see if Meredith or Cristina had noticed anything, but they were hunched back over the body cavity, acting as if nothing had happened. Annoyed, he went back to his arm, but trying to finish it quickly before he got home and his house was…well let's just say wasn't the same house he had left it this morning. After about 10 more minutes, Derek put down the suture instruments and stretched.

"Well, if all goes well, she'll wake up with a fully functional right arm. Good work team." He announced taking off his surgical gown. As he headed for the door, he passed by Meredith.

"See ya at home." He whispered nibbling on her ear. Meredith shifted uncomfortably in her position.

"Derek…" she whined. He pulled away, knowing he could be seriously hurt if he continued and pecked her one last time on the cheek and went into the scrub room. Now, the full OR was down to 2 surgeons, 2 interns, and the scrub nurses. The only sound was from the calm vital and bypass machine.

"Ok, now I'm going to tie this section of the brain off so it can heal properly. We're going to have to go back in, in a couple of weeks, but otherwise she should have a full recovery." Coached Meredith as she tired off her last suture. "Ok Seram, I'm gong to need you to do post-op and tell the family the good news on her brain. Page me if you need anything."  
The intern nodded as he scurried out of the OR, doing what Meredith told him. Meredith watched him go, then walked over to Cristina, who was just about to take the heart off of bypass.

"Looks good." She commented, looking over her person's shoulder. Cristina looked up and gave her a look.

"Can I help you?"

Meredith laughed

"Just trying to savor the last minutes of being in an OR before I go back to being a mom." Sighed Meredith looking at the heart. Cristina rolled her eyes.

"You should of thought of that before you did the McNasty with McDreamy." Answered Crisitna dryly, before going back to her heart. Meredith sighed before turning away.

"Since apparently everyone's going to be at my house you're, I guess by proxy-since it's my house and you're my person, invited too. Bring 'Melia and Chris too. Jacc and Audrey need someone their own age to play with."

Cristina just grunted something uncomprehendable. Meredith laughed as she left her person hunching over the heart, as she scrubbed out.

---

Cristina climbed out of her car 2 hours later. It took longer than expected to finish her surgery since the lady crashed right when they took her off bypass. But in the end, she ended up living. Now, Cristina was dog-tired, but she knew Burke and Meredith would be mad if she didn't show up at Meredith's house.

"WE'RE ONLY STAYING AN HOUR!" called Cristina as her kids raced to the door. "YOU'VE GOT SCHOOL TOMORROW AND I'VE GOT WORK!" She knew the kids were only half-listening and would put up a fight when it was time to leave. Trudging up the steps, she walked in the open front door and into the living room.

"CRISTINA!" Called a very large Callie who was sitting on the couch. Awkwardly, Cristina made her way over to the living room, where all the women were seated with their babies.

"Hi…" She said sitting down. Meredith laughed as she passed Cristina a glass and a bottle of Vodka. Cristina gave Meredith a very grateful look before pouring herself a very large class, and almost drowning it all. She set down the glass to see all eyes on her.

"What? I just got out of surgery. I need alcohol."

Izzie just rolled her eyes as she bounced Nichole on her knee.

"So did our patient live or will her new twins be mother-less?" asked Izzie, brushing a brown piece of hair out of Nichole's eyes.

"She lived Izzie. I'm not the second bests Cardio-god in the country for nothing." Hissed Cristina, taking another swig of Vodka. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see everyone longing for a drink of that.

"Ok, the only one pregnant here is Ortho-chick. You guys can have a drink."

Addison shook her head.

"Not infront of the babies. I don't want them to grow up like mini-Mark's."

Izzie and Meredith nodded in agreement.

"I've cut back on my drinking anyway." Announced Meredith. Everyone looked at her like she was crazy.

"WHAT? I haven't been drowning Tequila since I was an intern. Only on special occasions will I have a minimal amount of Tequila…gosh."

All the women laughed as the conversation turned to Callie's new baby.

"I don't know…I mean I'm ready but is George? He can hardly handle Jeremy. But I guess it's too late to turn back now."

Izzie laughed.

"You've been married to George for like…ever now. Trust me, he's ready. If he wasn't…he would have gotten out of this a long time ago."

Callie looked at Izzie for a second, taking in her words. She knew that Izzie never really got over her feelings for George, even though she was married to Alex.

In the silence, they would hear a roar of laughter erupt from the kitchen. Meredith looked up, trying to see what was going on.

"They better not be talking about us." Muttered Addison trying to get a better look of the kitchen also.

Callie laughed. "They're just being men."

Cristina had no comment, since she was on her 3rd half-glass of Vodka.

"I'm sure my dad is just telling them that Gracie-Michelle was giving him such a hard time. It's been a while since he's been around a baby." Meredith said quietly.

No one had an answer for that. They knew that Meredith letting her dad back into her life was a big step, and an even bigger one for him to be taking care of his granddaughter. This was all new for all of them since he was going to be the central babysitter. After a few minutes of silence, Callie did a small wince. No one noticed at first, until she did it again; and this time Izzie noticed.

"Callie? Is everything ok?"

Callie nodded her head.

"Yeah. It's been happening all day. It's nothing to worry about. Cristina, can you get me a glass of water?"

Cristina nodded, as she got up and headed towards the kitchen. Meredith just nodded her head, but Izzie and Addison weren't convinced.

"Guys, I'm fine. I just need some water and…"

But she didn't get to finish her sentence since she did another sharp wince, and this time crumbled to the floor.

"Shit." Muttered Izzie, springing into action. Meredith and Addison, also alarmed, grabbed some pillows and put them under Callie's head right when Cristina walked in. Once she saw that Callie was in fetal position, the glass dropped from her hands and came crashing down onto the hardwood floor. She ignored the glass and also kneeled next to her very pregnant friend. After a few more seconds the pain had subsided, and Callie's eyes fluttered open.

"See, I told you I was fine." She said, cracking a weak smile, but Izzie and Addison shook their heads.

"Callie, we need to get you to Seattle Grace fast."

"WHAT?!"

Everyone turned around to see all the men standing in the living room (they had rushed in when they heard the glass fall onto the floor and was checking to see if everything was all right).

"George…"Breathed Callie alarmed to see her husband. At once, George pushed Cristina out of the way, ignoring her rude comment, and grabbed Callie's hand.

"What do you mean we have to go to the hospital? She can't be in labor…it's a week early!" he stammered. Addison shook her head as she got up.

"George, the baby's ready. We need to get to Seattle Grace now!"

George turned and looked into Callie's eyes.

"George, just go start the car." Whispered Callie. Seeing pain in her eyes hurt him so much. He gave Callie's hand one last squeeze before getting up and sprinting towards the car. Once he was gone, all the women helped Callie get on her feet.

"Ok, well Izzie and I are going to drive over with George and Callie to help. Meredith, call Moore and tell him that we're on our way and prepare a room." Ordered Addison. Meredith nodded as she rushed into kitchen. The next 10 minutes were full of moving and a few shouts, but in no time, Callie, Addison, Izzie, and George were off to the hospital while everyone stayed at Meredith's house.

"Nothing is ever dull in our lives is it?" asked Alex, watching the headlights disappear down the dirt road. No one responded, knowing that he was right, and hoping that they would get to the hospital in time.

**_A/N: OMG I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOO x infinity sorry for not having this up when i told you guys i'd have it up. My exscuse isn't really valid...ok it is, but it's the same one. School. 2 AP classes, a dual credit, golf, orchestra, driving, etc. has taken over my life. I've had the first half of this written for the past 2 weeks, but haven't gotten around to writing the other half. The original plan was to have everyone go shopping after the surgeyr, but that didn't happen. I also wanted the story to be done b4 the S4 premire...but that's not happening either. My new deadling is Colmubs day weekend. lol. GREY'S RETURNS THRUSDAY!!!!! I'M SO EXCITED!!!!! (for all of you who said you weren't going to watch this season, you totally should! least the frist one!!!!). So yes. PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU'RE STILL READING THIS!!!!!!! lol_**

**_As usual...5+ reviews will most definitley get me to procrastisintae and have me write this week:D I DO LOVE YOU GUSY FOR STICKING WITH ME!!!!!_**

**_1 more chapter then the epilouge!!!!!_**


	51. Top Of The World

**Ch. 51: Top Of The World**

**_A/N: I'M SORRY!!!!!I understand y only 3 of u reviewed last chapter. I'm also going to say that this is the last chapter of It's A Hard Not Life. More details in the A/N..._**

"OK CALLIE JUST ONE MORE PUSH! I CAN SEE THE HEAD! JUST ONE MORE BIG PUSH AND…STOP!"

Callie fell back into the stiff hospital pillows, drenched in her sweat. She had been in labor for the last 5 hours and she was more than thankful that the baby was finally out. Looking to her right, she saw George clutching his right hand for dear life, muttering something that sounded like "my poor surgical hand…what will I ever do?" Callie rolled her eyes as she turned her attention back to the chaos in the room.

"George, shut up. I'll fix your hand once I come back to work." Snapped Callie, getting annoyed with her husband's wimpers. George clamped his mouth shut as he moved over to his wife. Meredith was also by Callie's side, wiping her forehead.

"You did great Callie. Just think, the worst is over. All you have to worry about is diapers and 2 o'clock wake-up calls, and Jermey being jealous and..."

"Meredith..."

"Yes Callie?"

"Shut up!"

Meredith laughed putting down the wash cloth. Addison meanwhile was on the other side of the room, with the new baby.

"She's beautiful."Addison yelled across the room smiling.

"Well, i'd like to take your word for it..but since you kinda took my baby away from me!"

Addison laughed as she continued her work. Callie sighed as she closed her eyes. She hated all this hustle and bustle around her. Sure it was the same in the OR, but there she was in charge. Here, she was the patient who wasn't getting told anything.

"Umm…Addie…Izzie…when can I see my baby!?" Callie asked, her voice just below a yell. Izzie laughed as she carried a small bundle of pink joy over to Callie.  
"Right now." Whispered Izzie lowering the newborn into Callie's arms.

For the first time since she was pushing, Callie was quiet.George leaned over his wife's shoulder to get a good view of his new daughter. The room was finally quiet, with eveyrone adoring the new baby.

"She's beautiful Callie." Whispered Meredith, brushing away a small strand of black hair out of the new baby girl's eyes. Callie wiped away a tear as she held her new daughter.

"I-I knew what to expect, but…I guess it's different with a different gender. Don't get me wrong, I love Jeremy with all my heat, it's just…I finally have a baby girl."

Addison nodded, holding onto the baby's finger.

"It's a whole new felling to have hold a girl in your arms. It's more…peaceful I should say."

George, being very uncomfortable in this situation, kissed Callie on the top of the head and then his new daughter.

"Welcome to the new world Ashley Samantha O'Malley." He whispered.

Callie's head whipped up right when the name escaped George's mouth.

"Umm…we never decided on 'Ashley Samantha'!" Callie said 'matter-of-factly'.

George's face turned bright red, as Meredith and Addison struggled to hide their laughter. Izzie just rolled her eyes.

"Well, not only does it sound horrible George, Addison's daughter is named Ashley. We can't have two Ashley's, our lives have enough confusion in them as it is."

Callie nodded as she stared intently at her daughter. Then, it was like a light bulb went off in her head.

"Kelsey-Lynn O'Malley." She whispered.

No one wanted to utter a word since the name Callie just gave her daughter was absolutely perfect. It was peaceful as if there was a small light engulfing Kelsey. But sadly, the moment was ruined by Cristina who burst through the door a few minutes later.

"I head that Callie popped one out!"

Addison directed a strong glare in Cristina's direction.

"What? Oh don't tell lecture me on rudeness. You try to entertain those lions out there. I'm just the freakin messenger since none of those other pansy-asses wanted to come in here and see what happened." Cristina retorted, not affected by Addison's glare. Callie though, just laughed.

"No it's fine. Tell them that a beautiful 8lb 9 oz 32 in long girl was born and that we decided to name her Kelley-Lynn O'Malley."

Cristina nodded and headed for the door, but before walking out she turned around.

"Uh…Ya, I've got your husbands out here dying to know what happened to y'all and I'm sure these too love birds don't want you here anymore."

Rolling their eyes, Meredith, Izzie, and Addison headed towards the door.

"Congratulations Callie." Whispered Meredith bending down to kiss Kelsey on the forehead and give George a hug. Callie smiled as she watched her friends walk out of the room. Once the door closed, George's eyes went straight to his daughter. She looked so peacefully with her small chest rising up and down as she slept. Callie noticed George's gaze and smiled.

"She reminds you of me doesn't she?"

George just nodded. Callie laughed as she bounced her daughter in her arms.

"Well, we did it. We were able to bring a new human into the world." George finally whispered. Callie laughed, surprised by what her husband said, but then realized the truth behind it.

"Ya, we did didn't we?"

After a few more minutes of time together, an intern walked in ruining the moment.

"Can we not have half an hour alone?" Callie snapped, getting annoyed by all the interruptions. The intern's eyes opened wide by Callie's remark.

"I-I'm sorry D-Dr. O-O'Malley b-but Dr.M-Moore said to get the n-new baby into the n-nursery."

Sighing Callie looked down at her daughter one more time.

"Thank you." She whispered as she kissed Kelsey's fontanel and handed the baby over to the intern. Giving a small smile, the intern took the baby away from George and Callie. After the door closed, Callie snuggled down into the bed and closed her eyes.

"Callie?" George whispered, but after a few minutes of no response, he smiled and kissed her softly on the cheek and walked out of the room, taking one last look at his sleeping wife. At that moment a picture of his new daughter filled his mind. Smiling once more, he turned off the lights of the room and walked out, feeling like he was on the top of the world.

**_A/N: OH MY EFFIN GOD!!! I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING LK A MONTH AGO!!!!!! My excuse is also not very good. It's the usual: school has taken over my life, along with violin and golf! I actually had a golf tourney today but that's besides the point. I had no clue what i wanted to do for this chapter, that's y it's so short. But lk i said, this is the last chapter of Hard Not Life. You may b thinking 'what the hell! this sucks as a last chapter' but...never fear there is going to be an epilouge that i've had in my mind for lk 2 months now. That will b definitley in less than a month. SO SORRY AGAIN FOR THE VERY DELAYED CHAPTER! I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED THIS STORY, AND LOOK FOR THE EPILOUGE COMING SOON!!!! _**

**_P.s: what do y'all think of the new season of GA. I hate derek rt now...but i love the season._**

**_PPS: Reviews will make me feel very guilty. I only got 3 reivews, so i didn't feel AS guilty. PLEASE REVIEW! i know y'all like reviews when u write, so plz...return the good feeling:DDDDDD_**


	52. Epilouge: It's Not The End

**Epilouge: It's Not The End**

**_June 6 2032_**

"Could this night get any worse?" Cristina muttered as she slumped over in her seat.

"Cristina!" hissed Meredith a couple seats over. There were about 2 vacant seats between Cristina and Meredith since both Burke and Derek had left to go help the kids get ready for the ceremony. This left Meredith, Cristina, Izzie, and Callie alone listening to the music that was being emitted into the stadium.

"What? I didn't pay $20 to sit here and listen to a crappy, less than perfect string...1...2…3…4…5 sextet to watch my kid walk across the stage!"

Meredith rolled her eyes.

"Okay a) this is the varsity orchestra that's top in the nation. B) There are more than six people down there. And Three, this is free so shut up!"

Cristina glared at her as she dug in her purse for her stethoscope and started to polish it.

"Cristina!" groaned Meredith when she saw the stethoscope.

"Oh come on, like you didn't bring something better to do!" Snapped Cristina.

Meredith opened her mouth then closed it, realizing that Cristina was right since there was a medical journal hidden inside of her purse. Tearing her eyes away from her best friend she looked around the stadium. Only, she wasn't looking at the intricate designs. No, her mind was whizzing away, thinking back on the last 25 years.

Honestly, she didn't think that she was going to make it this far. She would of thought 25 years from the start of her intern ship, she would be alone or pretty much…dead. That was, until she met Derek. Ok, so everyone knew the story of her and Derek. Girl meets boy in bar. Girl falls in love with boy. Girl finds out that boy has wife. Girl tries to hate boy but still finds out she's in love with sed boy. Boy dumps wife for girl. Girl and boy sleep at "prom". Girl and boy get married. Girl and boy have twins. Girl and boy have near-death experiences. Girl and boy have another baby. Ya, definitely not what she would of thought. But now, here she was. The #2 nuero-surgeon in the world with 3 kids, still living in Seattle with her husband and career life-long friends. Wow, now that she thought of it, 25 years really wasn't that long.

"Hey, whatcha doing?"

Meredith was broken from her trance by a small poke from Callie who had scooted over a couple seats to get away from video camera crazed Izzie.

"Oh, just thinking bout the last 25 years. I can't believe that they're graduating. It feels like only yesterday Derek and I had sex in the exam room." Laughed Meredith.

"Okay, didn't need that picture in my head. I already lived it remember?"

"How could I forget?"

Both girls laughed, as they feel silent again, "listening" to the music of the orchestra down below.

"Where's Kelsey-Lynn and Gracie-Michelle?" asked Meredith a couple minutes later, realizing that her daughter was missing.

"They went off the explore. You know 8 year-olds. They can't sit still for 10 minutes. Kinda like us surgeons. Hey, I bet you 10 bucks that Christina's got her pager with her, praying that she gets out of this." Whispered Callie.

Meredith let out a small chuckle as her eyes darted to Cristina's wait. Sure enough, the black pager was clipped neatly to her pants line, waiting to be used.

"Can you say work-alcoholic?" asked Meredith.

Callie shrugged.

"Aren't we all? I mean, I'm surprised Social Services isn't taking these kids away from us. We hardly know them."

Meredith raised her eyes at Callie's comment.

"Ok, not literally, but I mean…"

"You mean that having a demanding job has led to less time for family. Trust me, I lived in that situation. I was there more for Jaccob and Audrey than my mother was ever for me. Honestly, I don't even think she was there for my first steps or words or first day of school. It was always the nanny. I made a vow to Derek and myself that I would be there for my kids."

Callie nodded.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to come out the way it did."

Meredith smiled.

"I know."

"HEY LOOK! THE BOYS ARE COMING BACK!" squealed Izzie.

Sure enough Derek, Burke, Alex, and George came walking back to their seats. Behind them Addison, Mark, Amelia, Gracie-Michelle, Kelsey-Lynn, Ashley, and Nichole filed into the two rows of seats reserved for the big family. Gracie sat down to the left of Meredith (to the right of Cristina) as Derek sat on the other side of her. Burke of course sat next to Cristina as Amelia sat next to her dad. Nichole, Izzie, Alex, Kelsey, Callie, George, Ashley, Addison, and Mark filled up the row below them.

"We finally got them all situated. They had a small crisis about not having enough gold cords, but some idiot had it on the whole time. It's amazing how easily they give out diplomas these days." Whispered Derek to Meredith as the lights in the stadium began to dim. Meredith play swat Derek with her program after his remark, but her attention was soon turned to the new music that began to play below. Two violins and cello were still seated as they began to play the Graduation march. After a few moments of music, the spotlight was shone to the bottom of the stadium where the entrances lay for the teams during a sports game. Slowly, two by two, the graduates followed out uniformly. As usual, the top 10 students were first, having Audrey first, then Christopher, Jaccob, then Jeremy followed by the other 6 top students and the rest of the class. Slowly but surely the students filed out of the back room and into the stadium as Audrey, Christopher, Jaccob and Jeremy took the stage.

Looking down upon her children, Meredith's eyes began to well up with tears and she grabbed Derek's hand. Turing to looking at his wife, he gave her a gentle smile and a peck on the cheek, before turning his attention back down to the stage, where the Principal was standing, waiting for the trio to finish the movement. At last they let out the infamous whole note G as the conductor cut them off, bowed and stretched her hand to the Principal, who nodded and cleared her throat.

"Of all my 35 years of being an educator, I've never met a group of students quite like this. Each one of them striving to be better than the rest, and each one different in their own special way. Whether it was our undefeated football team-" the principal paused for a moment as a loud uproar filled the stadium "or our HOSA team who took us to Nationals for the 4th year in a row, each student not only attended classes and learned all they needed, but they also gave back to the school. If I could, I would single out every student here and tell them how great they are, but unfortunately, we're on a time limit, so at this time, I would like to turn over the podium to the class of 2032's Valedictorian…Audrey Ellis Shepherd."

Again, the stadium was filled with loud claps as Audrey took the stage. Now, instead of only a few tears falling, Meredith was practically bawling into Derek's shirt.

"Mommy? Why are you crying?" asked Gracie when she saw her mom's face buried into her dad's shirt.

"B-because, mommy just can believe that your brother and sister are graduating that's all." Answered Meredith, trying to wipe away her tears.

"Oh, ok." Answered Gracie as she shrugged and turned her attention to her older sister on the stage. Trying to dry up her eyes, Meredith heard Cristina trying to get her attention.

"Hey, Niagara Falls, keep it down!" she hissed.

Glaring at her best friend, Meredith threw her used tissue at Cristina who passed it on the George who gave Cristina a disgusted look.

"Keep it down! Audrey is about to speak!" hissed Izzie as she glared at everyone before focusing back on her niece, who indeed was moments away of addressing everyone.

"Ahem. Ladies and Gentleman, family and friends, parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers, mentors, and of course, my peers, thank you for joining us tonight on this very special night. A night that we all look forward to ever since we step foot into Elementary school. A night that we will never forget. A night that we will step away from the basics and step into our futures.

Ladies and gentleman, as Principal Herron said, each one of us is different and we each contributed to Seattle Grace High in a different way. I know for me and my brother it was the constant pressure of following in our parent's footsteps-" Audrey paused briefly and looked up and her parents, giving them a warm smile before continuing "But each day was a new journey. A journey that doesn't come to an end now that we are graduating. A journey that is just beginning.

Ladies and gentleman, I'm not going to stand up here and talk about how great Seattle Grace is and how wonderful my peers are, because quite frankly you already know that. Instead, I'm going to talk about how in each one of us- family played a huge part in getting us where we are now.

Most people think a family is made up of a mother who cooks and cleans, a father who brings home the money, a brother or sister who gets on the other siblings nerves, grandparents who spoil the grandkids, and mother-in-laws who bug the heck out of the father. For some of the students here, that might be true. But for a large part of us, it's not. Some of us only have one mother or father, or a step-mom or dad, or a billion half brothers and sisters. Some of us have no grandparents or aunts and uncles. Some of us may only have a brother and sister. But whomever we have, they were here for us, when we needed them.

Growing up with the top surgeons in the world as my parents, I didn't see a lot of them. Sure they were there when they had the day off, but sometimes they were sleeping. We had a couple of scares when my brother and I were little. Both our parents flirted with death more than once, and we were left wondering what was going to happen to us. But thankfully, we didn't have to think too hard. Sure we only have my blood-related parents and grandparents on my dad's side and on grandpa on my mom's side, but we have more than that. We have numerous non-blood aunts and uncles and cousins that were and still are there for us. I would name them all, but then Principal Herron would probably strip me of my title here tonight.

I guess what I'm trying to tell you, is that you don't have to have a blood-related family to have a real family. I consider my self-having 3 families, my parents, my aunts and uncles, and all my friends here. I would be no where and definitely not speaking to you here right now if it wasn't for the power of friendship. When we were in middle school, parents and teachers would tell us that 'friends is what will get you through high school' and so true is that. If I could, I'd go around and ask all my peers here tonight if they would be able to get through high school with out their friends. But I can probably tell you right now, their answer would be no.

So now ladies and gentleman, I leave you with this thought. Why must there be a stereotype of one family, when we can have multiple. Because I'm sure everyone in this stadium would agree with me, that families come in all different shapes, sizes, and kinds, but they have one thing in common, that they help us through our lives. So I want to thank my friends in the class of '32. I want to thank you for helping not only me out, but also each other. As we leave here tonight and make our journey to college, I would only hope that our families enlarge and contain more people. Because, the bigger the family, the better it is. Thank you."

Audrey smiled as everyone raised to their feet and clapped for her. There was not a dry eye in the house. Meredith, Callie, Izzie, Addison and even Cristina's make-up was all smeared after listening to Audrey's speech. After a few minutes, the Principal stepped up to the microphone and wiped her eyes.

"Thank you Audrey and how true her words are. Before calling up the students, I just wanted to add a few more words to her touching speech. I just wanted to say thank you to all the parents, aunts and uncles and grandparents out there who helped these wonderful and bright group of kids. Thank you for giving me the pleasure of working with them and giving them a chance to get an education. Now, when I call your name, please step forwards and receive your diploma…Apple, Kelsey…"

---

Everyone was gathered in Meredith and Derek's house celebrating the recent events from earlier that night. Everyone was standing in the living room, with Audrey, Jaccob, Christopher and Jeremy still dressed in their graduation gowns, golden cords and NHS collar. All the younger kids were pestering their older siblings with questions that were already answered before. Then, Meredith and Derek came walking into the room with a tray of apple cider and champagne and passed it around to everyone.

"I'd like to make a toast" Meredith started as she held up her glass. The room quieted as all eyes were on Meredith. "To the class of '32. Sure we weren't there as much as we of liked. I'm sure that you wanted to yell and scream at us sometimes for not attending a soccer match or an orchestra concert because we had a surgery. But I wanted to say thank you for putting up with us. You could of shunned us and turned into rebels, but instead you stuck with us through thick and thin. And for that, I wanted to say thank you. To the class of '32!"

"TO THE CLASS OF '32!"

Everyone drained their glasses and set them down. Then Derek stepped forward with 4 identical envelops.

"Your parents and I have been thinking, what is a good graduation gift for these bright group of kids. We wanted to give you guys something that said 'thank you for not ditching us' and 'we're proud of you'. Recent events have told us, that you want to follow in our footsteps. And if not, I hope that you change your mind-"

"DEREK!" cried Addison. Shrugging he continued.

"So here you go. I hope you use it wisely because they're non-refundable" he chuckled.

Handing out the envelopes to Audrey, Jaccob, Christopher and Jeremy, each kids opened it up carefully and emptied it's contents.

"Dad…" whispered Jaccob reading the piece of paper that was in it. Christopher was the first one to finish reading and look around.  
"Seriously? A full ride scholarship to any medical school of our choice? Seriously?"

Burke nodded.

"We pulled some strings with our old alma maters and other schools. They said that they would be delighted to admit anyone with the last name of Burke, Shepherd, or O'Malley."

Everyone laughed as the kids stepped forward and hugged their parents. Smiling, Meredith collected the glasses and went into the kitchen. Every adult in the room soon followed her.

"I can't believe it." Sighed Addison, jumping up on the counter, setting her glass down.

"Ya. They're actually graduating. Leaving the house and going to college to become doctors. Where did these last 18 years go?" Breathed Callie.

No one said a word for the next few minutes, until Derek's "light-bulb" went off in his head".

"Why are we sitting around here sulking? Wasn't these last 25 years the greatest? Sure we had our ups and downs, but we wouldn't trade it for the world. We're acting like this is the end of the world. C'mon, we still got another generation to bring up! Let's go out there and make the most of it!"

Izzie laughed.

"Derek's right. This isn't the end of the world. C'mon, I'll break out Operation and Meredith pour another round of champagne, let's get this party started!"

Laughing, George and Izzie ran to the game closet and pulled out the 3 games of Operation and called everyone to order. Mark, Callie, Burke and Derek reluctantly joined them, not sure where this was going. Cristina though stayed back to help Meredith.

"You all right?" Cristina asked once everyone was gone. Meredith nodded, continuing to dry the glasses.

"I just…I just can't believe that I made it this far. That I have 3 kids, one a valedictorian, another 3rd in the class, and one whose just learning how to add factions. When I was an intern, my worst fear was growing up to be like my mother. Damn, how wrong as I!"

Cristina laughed.

"You know Derek's right Mer. You're acting like it's the end of the world. C'mon, let me help you with these and have the ultimate Operation show down. We'll show these youngsters what surgery really is!"

Meredith laughed before throwing down the towel and turning around to pick up the tray of drinks, right when Gracie-Michelle ran in.

"MOMMY! AUDREY AND JACC ARE LEAVING FOREVER!!!??" she cried, clinging onto Meredith's legs. Laughing, she pried her daughter off her legs and set her on the counter.

"Gracie, we've had this talk before. They're leaving for college but not forever. Remember? They're going to Boston where mommy went, but they'll be back for the holidays." Meredith cooed. Nodding, Gracie wiped the tears from her eyes.

"So it's not the end?" She asked. Meredith laughed.

"No honey, it's not the end. It's only the start of the beginning." Meredith answered tickling Gracie. Squealing, Gracie hugged Meredith and ran out of the room, to play with her younger cousins. Grabbing the tray one last time, Meredith turned to look at her reflection in the kitchen window. Seeing that she had aged over the last 25 years, she shifted the tray over to one arm and tucked a loose strand of gray hair behind her ear.

"It's only the beginning." She whispered to her self as she carried the tray of drinks to the living room, sitting next to Cristina, with only one thought in her mind: wow she was about to whoop everyone's asses.

**_A/N: It sadends me to say that this is the end. And unlike the title, it really is the end. No more sequels...sorry. Wow, i've been writing this fic for over a year and finally it's done. I want to thank you all for helping me write this. Without you, there would of been no sequel. I want to say thank you for sticking with me even though it seemed like I would never come back! I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did! I can't believe I'm about to click 'complete'! I want to start another fic, but w/ junior yr kicking my ass, we'll have to see. I might write a couple of one shots, so keep a look out for those! I just hope the Grey's is going to conintue w/ the stupid writer's stike. I'd say more, but i won't. If you want to hear my opioion feel free to PM me.  
So for the last time, i'm asking for your reivews! Please, just one last time! Let me know how u liked the story and this epilouge. Again , thank you for being there for me and this story! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!  
if you want to keep in touch feel free to:  
_****__****_myspace: the normal url /golfdork09 (just tell me who u r and how i know u)  
_****__****_aim: mcobsessed25 (just tell me who u r and how i know u)  
facebook: Meghan Musk, Health Careers High School (just tell me who u r and how i know u)  
or just PM me anytime you want. _****__******

**_So goodbye y'all. Hope you enjoyed it as much as i did!_**

MUAH


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